JOWAI: The Battalion Outpost at Khanduli – a village strategically located on the Meghalaya-Assam border in West Jaintia Hills has remained neglected by the State Government particularly the Home (Police) Department, for years now.
In a bid to guard the border inhabitants, the Home Department had set up the Battalion Camp at Khanduli village in 1982. The infrastructure of the outpost was constructed with locally available materials including straw, bamboos and tinned roof.
In 2006, the Battalion Outpost came under attack from suspected United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS)/ Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) in which heavy cross firing took place that lasted for more than an hour.
For nearly 30 years now, the Home Department has not repaired any infrastructure of the Battalion Outpost despite several requests from every Platoon Commander who was posted there.
“This clearly indicates that the State Government has no motive to improve the security in the border areas,” said a village elder from Khanduli, adding, “The government has always neglected the border areas be it the inter-state or the international border. Both the people and even the security force are being neglected,” he added.
“Whereas on the part of Assam, what has been observed from time to time is that the Assam government has done well to improve the condition in the border villages through various development schemes not only on its own areas but also with several attempts to encroach into Meghalaya territory,” he added.
A team of 28 Battalion personnel were performing their duty at Khanduli area and are staying in the old and damaged thatched and bamboo houses.
“The rainy season is very near and we don’t think we can protect ourselves from the rain and wind as all houses are in bad shape,” said a police personnel stationed at Khanduli.
Police outpost demanded: The Dorbar Shnong of Khanduli and Umshangiar villages have demanded a Police Outpost at Khanduli. Both the Dordar Shnong believed that the Police Outpost would help to provide security to the people residing in the border area.
“This is not the first time we have demanded a Police Outpost in the area. We have raised our demand from time to time but none of the government pays any attention to our demands,” Khanduli Secretary Shnong, I Dkhar, said.
