Decks have virtually been cleared for signing of a peace agreement between the central government and the Karbi tribe militant outfit United People's Democratic Solidarity from Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam.

Following a crucial round of talks between the UPDS leadership and Centre's peace interlocutors P C Haldar and Joint Secretary (Home) Sambhu Singh in New Delhi on Monday, the outfit's general secretary Haren Singh Bey informed the media that all the contentious issues had been resolved in the meeting and that the ball was now in the court of the government decide on signing of a peace accord.

The UPDS, which was waging a war against the State for fulfilment of its demand for a Karbi tribe homeland, had declared truce in 2002

and was since then engaged in a prolonged peace process with the central government.

The UPDS has demanded formation of an interim council in Karbi Anglong hill district, which is governed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, by dissolving the present elected body in Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council.

The UPDS' key demand is formation of a Karbiland Territorial Council.

However, the signing of a peace accord is unlikely to solve the insurgency problem in the volatile and ethnically-sensitive hill district considering that the government is yet to arrive at an agreement with another militant group in truce, Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front. The KLNLF is demanding an autonomous state for Karbi tribe.