SHILLONG, March 21: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday reiterated that Mukroh is very much within Meghalaya and there is no doubt about it. He produced data from government records to cement his claim.
Responding to a query from VPP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent claims that Mukroh is in Assam, the CM said based on the census code (279192), Mukroh village is under the jurisdiction of West Jaintia Hills District and it is listed as having a VEC under the MGNREGA under Laskein Block.
“Elections took place and there are polling stations of 4 Mukroh A and 5 Mukroh B falling under Mowkaiaw constituency, with populations of voting in Mukroh A – male 802 and female 794,” Sangma said.
He informed the members that against the fair price shops from Meghalaya side of Mukroh A, 235 ration cards were issued and there are 1,285 beneficiaries. In Mukroh B, 179 ration cards were issued and there are 944 beneficiaries, he added.
Sangma said there are Meghalaya government buildings including Mukroh Govt LP School and Mukroh Health Sub Centre in Mukroh village.
“As of March 17, the Mukroh VEC has 502 job cards issued and residents of the area are getting the benefits through the state government,” he said.
Earlier, he said the government is building confidence of the people by ensuring manpower, infrastructure and security.
Stressing on proper communication and coordination with Assam to avoid any confrontation along the border, Sangma said the state government created seven new border outposts besides new police stations and police outposts in close proximity to the border.
An SOP (standard operating procedure) is in place for measures to maintain peace and tranquillity in the areas of difference, he said, highlighting how tension built up along the border over the years.
Earlier, Basaiawmoit lamented that the reply of the CM and the actual situation on the ground were contradictory as there is constant fear in the minds of the people living in these areas.
“Maybe, the soft and gentleman-like approach of Meghalaya has emboldened Assam to lay claim over Mukroh,” Basaiawmoit said.
He insisted that the safety of the people should not be compromised as officials from Assam keep visiting these areas.
Replying to a query from UDP legislator Nujorki Sungoh, Sangma said the border outpost at Mukroh is functional from a temporary site and sanction has been already been made. He, however, did not have information when Sungoh further asked if the government has identified a permanent land for the infrastructure. The CM said temporary arrangement has been made and temporary location identified.
Reminding the government of last year’s firing incident, Sungoh asked what steps the government has taken on the demand of people to remove the forest check gate set up by the Assam Police. To this, Sangma said the matter is under the inquiry commission and hence, the government has not been able to take it up.
“Shifting of this gate is very much within the inquiry commission’s mandate because these are the circumstances under which the incident took place. Let the inquiry commission complete the inquiry first,” Sangma said.
Congress MLA from Umsning, Celestine Lyngdoh referred to the government’s commitment to resolving the differences in the remaining six areas of differences and asked it to ensure that mistakes made in the first phase of resolution process are not repeated. He further said the issue of handing over or taking over land should be specifically on the area of differences.
“When Meghalaya hands over any area to Assam, it should be an area of differences. If it receives an area from Assam, it should be an area of difference,” Lyngdoh insisted.
Citing an example about Maikhuli, he said the area or point of contention in the village was the graveyard.
“But when the border was corrected, the large fish pond in the village, which is not under contention, was given to Assam. The fish pond is not under the areas of difference,” he said.
The Umsning MLA said the government should not give away land which is not disputed to Assam.
