SHILLONG, Sep 26: The state government on Monday constituted three regional committees to examine the status of the interstate border dispute in the six ‘remaining’ areas of differences between Meghalaya and Assam.
CEMs and EMs of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council have been co-opted as members in the three committees.
In a notification issued by the Home (Political) department, the state government said the three regional committees will examine the present status of the six remaining areas of differences in Langpih (West Khasi Hills); Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Desh Doomreah and Block-II (Ri-Bhoi)and Block-I and Psiar-Khanduli (West Jaintia Hills).
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong will be the Chairman of the Ri-Bhoi district regional committee, Cabinet Minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar will be the Chairman of West Khasi Hills district regional committee while Cabinet Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar will lead the West Jaintia Hills panel, the official statement said.
The Ri-Bhoi committee will have Cabinet Minister Dasakhiatbha Lamare, Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, KHADC Executive Member (Elaka) Jambor War and Umroi MDC Rangkynsai Kharbuki as members.
The West Khasi Hills regional committee will have Nongstoin MLA Macmillan Byrsat, Rambrai-Jyrngam MLA Kimfa Sydney Marbaniang, KHADC Deputy CEM Gigur Myrthong and Rambrai-Jyrngam MDC Bajop Pyngrope as members.
The West Jaintia Hills panel will consist of Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Raliang MLA Comingone Ymbon, Mookaiaw MLA Nujorki Sungoh and JHADC CEM Thombor Shiwat as members.
The deputy commissioner of the respective districts will be the member convenor of the regional committees.
The three regional committees will coordinate with the relevant regional committee set up by the Assam government.
These committees are set to cross-reference and verify the names of villages (sub-villages) claimed by Meghalaya with the names of villages as per records of the Assam government, to establish the geographical location of the villages and their contiguity, to examine the status of the population of villages as per census records including ethnicity.
The committees will also visit each of the villages, and interact with the communities living in the villages including the elected representatives of the Autonomous District Councils and other stakeholders to learn about the perception of the people living in the area.
They will also document the factual information regarding the physical and time-wise distances from the villages to the nearest public service delivery point/ administrative unit.
“The Committees will submit their report to the Government of Meghalaya within a period of 45 days from the date of this notification based on the inspection of the villages and based on the agreed yardsticks of historical perspective, ethnicity of the local population, administrative convenience of local people, contiguity with the boundary and the perception of the people living in the area,” the statement added.
On March 29, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma signed an agreement to end their five-decades-old border dispute in six of the 12 contested areas. The agreement was inked in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
