NONGPOH: In yet another border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya, a newly constructed building of the Khlieh Umwang LP School was dismantled by the Assam Police personnel on Thursday at Khieh Umwang village under the disputed Block II area in Ri Bhoi District.
Last week, the headman of Khlieh Umwang and the contractor implementing the project were summoned by the Officer In-charge of Ulukanchi Police Outpost under West Karbi Anglong District and forced to clarify on the ongoing construction of the SSA school building at Khlieh Umwang village.
It may be mentioned that the school was set up by the Meghalaya Government to promote education in border areas.
The school building was sanctioned at an estimated amount of Rs 19 lakh.
The incident has led to anger amongst the locals of Khlieh Umwang and other adjoining villages.
As per information from the local headman of Khlieh Umwang, K. Muktieh, a team of Assam Police entered the village on Friday around 10 am along with a JCB and started dismantling the under construction school building without any notice.
They brought down the concrete roof and uprooted the pillars.
The headman also informed that the incident was brought to the notice of the concerned authority in the Education Department and has also been taken up with the deputy commissioner of Ri Bhoi for necessary legal action against the Assam Police.
Meanwhile, Ri Bhoi DC, Rosetta Mary Kurbah, informed that she had engaged in a telephonic conversation with her West Karbi Anglong counterpart who denied having any knowledge of the incident.
Kurbah assured to take up the matter with the state government after getting a detailed report on the incident. “The incident shows that our counterpart does not respect the decision taken during the DC level meeting held at Sabuda village where we had decided to accept the developmental works from both states provided the names of the projects being implemented is shared between the two states.”
She also informed that instruction had been given to the SP of Ri Bhoi to conduct a spot inquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, the KSU North Khasi Hills District and Ri Bhoi Youth Federation condemned the vandalism by Assam Police. “This mindless act on the part of the Assam government which does not even spare educational institutions must be condemned by one and all” KSU NKHD president, Ferdynald Kharkamni and RBYF president Bipul Thangkhiew said, adding that the state government must take stringent action against those involved.
They threatened to carry out similar activities in Assam if the state government fails to take action at the earliest.
