Inclusion of M’laya villages under Assam constituency opposed

SHILLONG: A Jaintia Hills-based pressure group has opposed inclusion of Meghalaya villages under Baithalangso Assembly constituency of Assam.
Baithalangso will go to polls on April 4 in the first phase of the Assembly election.
In a letter addressed to the Election Registration Officer/Returning Officer of Mowkaiaw Assembly Constituency on Monday, the Jaintia Students’ Movement said that in the official map of Jaintia Hills published and printed by the Survey of India, the villages namely Psiar and Khatkasla are legally within the jurisdiction of Jaintia Hills.
“We were shocked to learn that the two villages were included in 20- Baithalangso A/C under Polling Station No. 199, and Polling Station named  Anganwadi Centre with  total votes of 1043 under areas of Malaber, Khatkasula, Pechair, Bamcher , Malaber , Salaet , Iskat (A) ,Iskat (B)”, the organization said.
The pressure group pointed out that, Khatkasla and Psiar were miss spelt by Assam Election department as Khatkasula and Pechair.
However, the organization said that the two villages are actually  included in Tum-Tum polling stations of Mowkaiaw Assembly constituency of Meghalaya. According to the pressure group, the inclusion of the two said villages in the electoral rolls of Assam clearly reflects the policy of intrusion and encroachment of Assam government  to the territory of Meghalaya.