By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The KHADC is contemplating to remove the Syiem of Hima Nongspung, Peter Roger Syiemiong, for signing an agreement with the Assam Government for construction of a 10-km road on the land and territory falling within the Syiemship which according to the Council is totally against the interest of the State.
“We are contemplating to remove the Syiem of Hima Nongspung for signing an agreement with the Assam Government which is totally against the interest of the State,” KHADC CEM, Pynshngain N Syiem, told reporters on Sunday.
While informing that the Hima Nongspung had actually got a stay order from the Court on the road project which was proposed by the Assam Government for construction in the territory of the village, the CEM said that the Syiem instead went ahead to sign an agreement for construction of the Rs 600-crore road project despite the ‘stay order’ from the court.
“I fear that the Assam Government might claim ownership over the land after construction of the road. Before the construction work starts I want the agreement to be scrapped. We can only scrap the agreement once the present Syiem is removed,” the CEM said.
According to an agreement signed between Peter Roger Syiemiong, Syiem of the Nongspung Syiemship, and the Assam government on December 3, 2010, approval was given for the construction of a 10-km road on the land and territory falling within the Syiemship.
The Assam government, represented by Guwahati West legislator Hemanta Bhuyan and Siddique Ahmed, Assam Minister for Border Areas Development, agreed and confirmed that their government would not stake territorial claim or rights over the portion of road that runs through the Syiemship i.e. from Patgang, Longkhung, Jimrigang and Bakhlapara.
These villages fall well within the territorial and administrative jurisdiction of Meghalaya. Moreover, it was agreed that even after the construction of the road, the traditional chieftain would exercise all rights as currently exercised over administration and all other customary functions.
It was also agreed that the Syiemship should grant the no-objection certificate to the Assam government based on the above conditions. The agreement was made as ‘the construction of the 10-km PMGSY road would bring about development in the area’.
However, a complaint was lodged against Syiemiong by the adviser to the Syiemship, W Syiemiong, accusing the former of ‘arbitrarily’ selling off land belonging to the Syiemship, to the Assam government.
Meanwhile the Syiem’s arguments were that after completion of the road it would help the villagers in the border villages to transport agricultural products besides easing the movement of people.
“This road will bring development to our people, but that does not mean we will lose our territorial integrity,” he added.
Justifying the December 3 agreement, Syiemiong had earlier said this was “in harmony with the agreements signed between the chief ministers of the two states.”
Former chief ministers DD Lapang and Hiteshwar Saikia of Assam had on June 6, 1992 agreed in Shillong to maintain the status-quo along the border areas while also consenting to allow development activities to continue without hindrance in the border areas.
Also, on July 18, 2008 in Dispur, the then Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy and his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi had agreed to allow development works to continue “in the interest of the people living in the border areas with prior intimation to the other side”.
On June 5, 2010, incumbent Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and Tarun Gogoi had inked a similar agreement at Dispur after talks were held following the Langpih firing incident on May 14 last year where four Khasi villagers were killed while few others sustained injuries after Assam police personnel allegedly fired on them.
All along, the two governments have been maintaining status-quo in the border areas with a strong pitch for a ‘give and take policy’.
Moreover, a joint committee of chief secretaries of Assam and Meghalaya was formed to follow up issues relating to the border dispute.
The last meeting between the chief secretaries of Assam and Meghalaya held in Dispur in August 2010 decided that both the states would go into the details of 12 sectors or areas of differences, including Langpih, before arriving at a solution.