SHILLONG, April 26: Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar on Wednesday said the groundwork for the second and final phase of border talks between Meghalaya and Assam will begin next week.
“The same process will be followed as was done in the first phase,” Dhar, who is the chairman of the regional committee on border dispute for Jaintia Hills, told reporters.
He said the Deputy Commissioner of West Jaintia Hills and the latter’s team of officers will start compiling details on the areas of differences under Block-I. They will share details on the population and the developmental works undertaken – whether by Meghalaya government or Assam government.
Dhar said an effort will be made to prepare a map which will make things easier.
“We have the necessary documents to support our claims on the areas of differences,” he said.
He said it will be difficult for him to say which are difficult or easy areas as far the resolution of the problem is concerned. He said the committee will not rush as it does not want to submit a wrong report to the government.
“We want to be sure that we submit a factual report,” Dhar added.
The committee held its first meeting on Tuesday to finalise the plan of action on the second phase talks.
Referring to the incident at Khanduli village where a “tax gate” of Assam’s Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) was removed by local youth as soon as it was installed, Dhar said Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner Krishna Baruah’s statement that the village falls under the territorial jurisdiction of Assam was “uncalled for”.
He said she (Baruah) had made the statement to the media after coming out of the joint meeting held at the office of Deputy Commissioner, West Jaintia Hills. He said they have already expressed their concern over her remarks to an appropriate authority.
Dhar said he had visited Khanduli on Tuesday to oversee the situation.
“We don’t want any more tension in the area. We have insisted that there should not be any provocation from any side,” he said, adding Khanduli is a part of Meghalaya.
The Deputy CM also said that it will be difficult for him to comment why the KAAC had set up the tax gate in Khanduli.
The Dorbar Shnong of Khanduli had on Monday organised a protest rally against the setting up of the tax gate. Hundreds of people from Khanduli and neighbouring villages and also members of several pressure groups, including KSU, FKJGP, JSU, HBDRF and HANM, took part in it. The villagers resolved to demand the immediate removal of the gate.
