SHILLONG, Dec 28: The East Jaintia Hills regional committee on interstate boundary dispute has prepared its report and will submit it to the government post the New Year celebrations.
The committee had earlier sought for an extension and the government had given it time till December 31 to submit its report. The Ri-Bhoi and the West Khasi Hills district committees have already submitted their reports to Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma.
Home Minister and member of the East Jaintia Hills regional committee, Lahkmen Rymbui told The Shillong Times on Tuesday that the report has been finalised.
Asked when they will submit the report, Rymbui said they will do so when the chief minister is in town and government offices reopen after the holidays.
The chief minister had earlier said that the East Jaintia Hills committee and its Assam counterpart were engaged in discussions and the report will be compiled after both panels reach a consensus.
The two neighbouring states had constituted three regional committees each to examine the status of six “less complicated” areas of differences out of the 12. The areas in question are Tarabari, Gizang and Hahim in West Khasi Hills, Ratacherra in East Jaintia Hills and Boklapara and Khanapara-Pilangkata in Ri Bhoi districts.
Each committee was assigned to coordinate with the relevant regional panel set up by the Assam government, provide with cross-reference and verify the names of villages (sub-villages) claimed by Meghalaya with the names of villages recorded by the Assam government.
The committees were also to establish the geographical location of the villages and their contiguity and examine the status of the population of the villages, including ethnicity, according to census records.
They were to prepare an “as is” Public Asset Register in the villages created by both governments, visit the villages and interact with residents as well as the elected members of Autonomous District Council concerned to learn about the perception of people living in the area.
The committees were to submit their report to the government based on inspection of the villages and agreed yardsticks of historical perspective, ethnicity of locals, administrative convenience of their contiguity with the boundary and their perception.
