By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: UDP leader Donkupar Roy on Thursday asked the State Government to approach the Central Government for amending the North Eastern Areas Re-Organization Act, 1971, to address the issue of border dispute.
During Question Hour in the Assembly on Thursday, Roy pointed out that as per the Act, Block-I and II were no longer with Meghalaya, and sought a reply from Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on whether the State Government was planning to move the Centre for amending the Act.
Replying to the queries, the Chief Minister stated that at first, both the Assam and Meghalaya governments needed to achieve an agreement with mutual understanding to resolve the dispute.
Dr Sangma also said that the State Government will start engaging with Assam on ‘priority basis’ to solve the vexed boundary dispute in Block-I and II.
To a question posed by Roy on the steps taken by the Government to include areas under Block-I and II in Meghalaya, the Chief Minister said that in order to strengthen its claims over the areas of difference, the State Government had handed over evidence for justification of its claims in each of the twelve areas of difference between the two states, which also include Block-I and II.
Reacting to a supplementary question about the recent incidents at Sabuda (under Block-II) where the Assam Government is forcibly constructing an entrance gate and SBI Bank’s building, the Chief Minister said that there is a mechanism to address these kinds of situations.
He said that when a matter is not solved at the District level, the Government has a mechanism in place to solve the matter at the Chief Secretary level.
“Our administration is alerted and the Deputy Commissioner is seized of the matter,” the Chief Minister added.
The Chief Minister also said that the Government has sought a detailed report from the Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner on the entire incident.