SHILLONG: Opposition leader Donkupar Roy on Thursday questioned the State Government for not including Cherrapunjee under the Border Areas Development (BAD) department.
Raising a supplementary question, Roy said that Cherrapunjee should have been included in the BAD since many villages in Cherrapunjee are in close proximity with the international border.
Minister in charge, BAD, Prestone Tynsong said that he would examine the matter and inform the Leader of Opposition in due course.
Earlier while raising the question, Sohra MLA T. Chyne inquired if more villages would be included under the BAD and also sought to know the names of the villages.
In reply, Tynsong informed that the criteria for any village to be included in the BAD department is that it should be located 20 kilometers as from the international village as the crow flies. This prompted Roy to question why Cherrapunjee has been excluded from the BAD, adding that he was sure that Cherrapunjee must be at a distance of less than 20 kilometers from the international border.
Tynsong also informed that the Department has sought the help of the Directorate of Land Records and Survey to identify the villages for inclusion under the BAD Department.