SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma informed the Assembly on Thursday that the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police in Ri Bhoi are working in liaison with the district administration of West Karbi Anglong and closely monitoring developments in the border area to prevent any untoward incident.
The coordination between the districts of the two states follows an attempt to construct a police outpost by Assam in Ri Bhoi border.
Sangma was replying to a zero hour notice tabled by Congress legislator George Lyngdoh regarding the encroachment by Assam on the Ri Bhoi border.
Lyngdoh narrated the plight of border residents due to the frequent incursions by Assam.
The chief minister said as per reports received on November 4 last year, the Assam officials visited Umru village under Block-II close to Tyrso village under Raid Nongtung, Ri Bhoi, with a view to set up a police outpost at Umru.
The Khasi population residing in Block-II has expressed resentment against the Assam government’s move to encroach on their land. Further, the Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong, Raid Nongtung under Hima Khyrim Syiemship raised opposition to the construction and demanded that the work be stopped and construction materials be removed immediately.
Umru village is a Nepali-dominated area and there are two headmen in almost all villages under Block-II. One is Sarkari Gaonbura appointed by the Assam government, and another is the Rangbah Shnong appointed by the Raid and Hima.
Sangma said after an inquiry was conducted by the Ri Bhoi district administration, it was learnt that on March 14, Assam police officials from West Karbi Anglong came to Umru village and unloaded construction materials at the proposed site for setting up an outpost and the same had been reported to the Ri Bhoi deputy commissioner.
Further reports indicated that after the intervention of the deputy commissioner of Ri Bhoi, the construction work was stopped on March 20 until the matter was resolved by both the DCs.
The chief minister said on March 21, when the construction site was revisited, it was found that Assam police had again resumed work in the presence of Assam battalion personnel and labourers.
On being questioned, they said that the higher authorities from Hamren, West Karbi Anglong instructed them to continue with the construction work.
In protest, the people of Umru village held a meeting on March 23 at Tyrso, Lumdiengjri Public ME School and thereafter proceeded to Umru village where the NGOs and Dorbar Shnong under Raid Nongtung attended.
In this connection, the Ri Bhoi SP was instructed to ensure maintenance of law and order in the area and to closely monitor the developments, the chief minister said.
The deputy commissioner of Ri Bhoi took up the matter with his counterpart in Assam on March 20 requesting him to stop the construction work at Umru with immediate effect, Sangma said.
After that, the Meghalaya chief secretary wrote to his counterpart in Assam on March 22 “requesting her to intervene and stop the construction works being undertaken by the Assam Police following which the construction works at Umru village has been stopped by the Assam government on March 23”, Sangma said.
