NONGPOH, Aug 10: At a time when the interstate border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam is at a nascent stage, village leaders of Pilangkata A and Pilangkata B villages in Ri Bhoi district have alleged that officials from Assam along with media persons on Monday conducted a border survey in their villages and claimed that parts of Pilangkata falls under Assam.
However, their claims were vehemently refuted by the villagers.
Interestingly, village leaders have alleged that media persons from the neighbouring state claimed that parts of Pilangkata belong to Assam.
It may be noted that the district administration of Ri Bhoi has been conducting interstate border surveys using drones in coordination with their counterparts from Assam following the Chief Minister-level talks between Meghalaya and Assam government held recently in Guwahati.
Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, headmen of Pilangkata A and B, Well Kyndait and KR Marak respectively, expressed strong objection to Assam government’s ‘encroachment tactics’ of using the media, even as they maintained that Pilangkata is a part and parcel of Meghalaya.
“We have all the land documents duly registered at the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Ri Bhoi. Assam had in 1993-1994 conducted a survey and tried to claim possession of our land to which we strongly opposed,” the headmen said.
They also stated that Pilangkata falls under the jurisdiction of Raid Marwet and Hima Mylliem, while asserting that they will not give in to any pressure, and resolved to continue the opposition.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Meghalaya People Social Organisation, which visited Barapathar (in Ri Bhoi) on Monday, urged the government to strongly condemn the alleged acts of transgression of the Assam government into territories of Meghalaya, and called upon Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to conduct an enquiry, while stating that the Assam government has recently alleged that Meghalaya is encroaching into their territory. The organisation has claimed that the reality is opposite to the allegation of Assam.
