SHILLONG: Additional Chief Secretary Rebecca Suchiang informed that two border haat — Bholaganj and Ryngku — situated in East Khasi Hills, will be made functional by September and another border haat in Nolikata, South West Khasi Hills, will become functional by December.
She recalled that during the last Cluster-9 meeting in 2015, decisions were taken to set up border haats in Huroi (East Jaintia Hills) and Dalu (West Garo Hills).
She said there were suggestions that Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) should be set up in Shella and Borsora as these are looked at as strategic places.
She maintained that long standing issues cannot be resolved overnight and there must be a collective push and nudge on agencies to move forward.
Extradition of prisoners
Suchiang also spoke about coming up with a mechanism to expedite extradition of persons who are serving jail terms in both countries and said that BSF and BGB should come up with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the purpose. “I hope that this meeting would come out with something concrete on the extradition of people who are serving jail term in the respective countries,” she said.
Later, speaking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, Matsiewdor War said issues of border crimes and militant activities, information-sharing of technical knowledge, land customs stations and flood control measures were also discussed.
Asked about river pollution, District Magistrate from Jamalpur, Bangladesh, Ahmed Kabir said since there are common rivers, necessary steps will be taken to ensure that river pollution does not take place.
He said in Bangladesh, the water flowing from India shows existence of metallic components and some sort of pollution from coal.
To a query, Kabir said such meetings of the bureaucrats of both the countries will be proposed to be held yearly as the last meeting was in 2015.
