‘Govt committed to protecting border residents’ interests’

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday informed the House that Assam Government is yet to respond to the proposal for a meeting to follow up the border dispute between the two states.
In reply to a call attention moved by Opposition leader Donkupar Roy (UDP) on the exclusion of 34 villages under Raid Nongtung from Block II area and the harassment of villagers in the inter-state border by militants from Assam, the Chief Minister said that the Government was committed to address the problems being faced by the people in the border areas of Block I and II.
The Chief Minister said that it was in 1951 that the Government of Assam had carved out two big chunks of the Jowai sub division (now East and West Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya) of the then United Khasi and Jaintia Hills district and tagged them with Mikir Hills Autonomous District through a notification dated 13.04. 1951.
According to the Chief Minister, the transfer of areas known as Block I and Block II were resented by the inhabitants as there were no common bonds in terms of either race or language with the people of the newly created Mikir Hills. He said that agitation demanding the transfer of these two blocks commenced soon after the notification and it continues till date.
However Roy said, “According to the villagers of Raid Nongtung, they were never part of Block II area as they maintained that the area was very much part and parcel of Meghalaya as per the 1951 notification.”
The Chief Minister told the House that various efforts were made by the state government including holding talks with Assam Government to end the border dispute.
As far as the law and order problems created by militants and miscreants in the border  areas are concerned, the Chief Minister said that several arrests were made and the Government was keeping a close watch on the situation.
On building up the claims of the state government, the Chief Minister said that the revenue department had prepared a sector wise justification of each of the disputed sectors in the Assam-Meghalaya boundary supported by maps and documents. “These were shared with Assam and the state government is still waiting for the response from Assam Government for the resumption of talks,” Sangma added.