SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act should be given more teeth in order to deal with influx.
Replying to the debate on Governor’s address in the Assembly, he, however, called for maintaining a balance on how to deal with people who come to the state on transit or as tourists and those who come here to stay.
As for the financial problems in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, the chief minister informed that the government has released Rs 17 crore out of which four months’ salary of the staff has been paid.
He added the government has also decided to appoint a Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) officer as secretary of the GHADC.
Border talks after LS polls
The state government would initiate talks with Assam on the long vexed boundary dispute for a permanent solution after the Lok Sabha elections even as it has asked the neighbouring state to maintain status quo in the disputed areas and refrain from highhandedness.
In reply to the debate on Governor’s address in the Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said efforts were on to hold discussions with Assam on the dispute.
On the other hand, Home Minister, James K Sangma, told the Assembly that the government has asked Assam to maintain status quo in the disputed areas and refrain from highhandedness.
Replying to a short duration discussion raised by HSPDP MLA Renikton L Tongkhar, James Sangma said that the recent incident at Umwali where 28 people were injured was taken up at the chief secretary level with Assam.
He said in a meeting at Nongpoh recently, the West Khasi Hills district administration asked the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Rural) district of Assam to take action against the police personnel who had resorted to lathi-charge on the people at Umwali.
“Additional police personnel have also been deployed there,” Sangma said
Giving details of the incident, the Home Minister said that it took place on February 14 and the injured persons were immediately taken to Nonglang Community Health Centre for treatment.
He also said that the incident happened after Assam police personnel resorted to lathi-charge on the villagers, who were assisting a contractor for electrification in the village under DDUGJY scheme.
Sangma said police personnel from Assam arrived at the spot and asked the people to stop the work, adding they also dragged the workers, which was protested by people, following which the former resorted to the lathi-charge.
Earlier, Tongkhar while drawing attention to the plight of the villages living on the Meghalaya-Assamborder, suggested that the two neighbouring states could think of making a road in those disputed areas, which will serve as demarcating line between the two states.
He also suggested that the state government should encourage other people of Meghalaya to settle in the border areas by offering them benefits like reducing the cost of land registration by 50 per cent and other benefits to farmers.
