SHILLONG: The Opposition in Meghalaya Assembly never seems to miss an opportunity to raise the clichéd issue of unresolved border problem with Assam. The truncated budget session has been no exception. But the focus now is shifted to Garo Hills. During question hour on Thursday, independent MLA, Syntar Klass Sunn, wondered if the adoption of the Assam Reorganization (Meghalaya) Act, 1969 and North Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971 means that the boundary is settled and defined.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the boundary dispute with Assam was there since the first day Meghalaya attained statehood. He said that the government is holding talks with the Assam for ironing out a solution to the dispute. Later, Both Saleng Sangma (NCP) and Zenith Sangma (Congress) referred to the problems faced by the people due to encroachment into Garo Hills by Assam residents.
Raising a supplementary question on the nature of border dispute in Garo Hills, Saleng said one of magistrates was sent to Tikrikilla recently as Assam people started construction in the land belonging to GHADC.
He urged the government to protect the people of Garo Hills. Zenith pointed out that in Garo Hills, there was a confrontation reported in 1992 after Assam tried to unilaterally erect boundary pillars which led to burning of effigies of chief minister and other ministers. Zenith also wanted the chief minister to name the 12 areas of differences which, however was not provided since the latter did not have the details.
Zenith said when a question is listed on inter-state boundary, the chief minister should have known that the areas of difference will be asked. “The details should have been there with CM”, he said. Sunn wanted to know the total length of boundary shared between Assam and Meghalaya.
In reply, the chief minister said the length is 884.24 kilometers. To another question, Conrad said while the past governments had followed up the border issue, the government is currently in talks with Assam to find a solution but dispute still remains in 12 locations. To a supplementary question by Sunn, the chief minister could not provide any details as to how many times both Assam and Meghalaya chief ministers met to discuss the border dispute since the formation of Meghalaya.
Nujorki Sungoh (UDP) said there were 55 incidents of border skirmishes in Jaintia Hills recently. He also referred to a temporary police battalion camp with 24 personnel who were not provided with support vehicles as they had to contact Raliang police station which is 15 km away. Nujorki also sought the intervention of chief minister regarding the construction of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) school at Psiar, a disputed area. “I want to get an assurance from the government that once we start the construction, there should not be any disturbance from Assam as this is the only school which will cater to the entire Block I area”, he said. In response, Conrad assured to look into the matter.