By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 10: The Opposition TMC on Sunday asked the state government to pay attention to the issues that go beyond the realm and scope of the interstate border talks between Assam and Meghalaya like recurring skirmishes, encroachment and frequent show of strength by the Assam side.
“We had raised these issues in the last Assembly session. The ongoing discussion on border relates only to the areas of differences and they have not gone beyond that,” TMC vice president George B Lyngdoh said.
According to him, in areas where there are no disputes, fresh problems of encroachment and development activities from Assam in land belonging to Meghalaya have surfaced.
A case in point is the construction of a transit camp in Khanapara (inside Meghalaya territory) and as per the first phase of border talks that has now become the new border, the boundary will now come from behind the transit camp, he said.
“This only means that areas not listed as disputed have also been given away to Assam as part of the settlement process,” he said.
Lyngdoh suggested that the district councils should be included as one of the stakeholders in the border talks.