By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 5: The Regional Border Committee of Ri-Bhoi is prepared to meet with its counterparts in Assam to discuss and conduct a spot inspection of the four disputed sectors in the district located along the interstate border. The four sectors are Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Desh Doomreah, and Block-II.
Mayralborn Syiem, a member of the Ri-Bhoi committee, stated that the committee is awaiting word from its Assamese counterpart regarding the date of the meeting and spot inspection.
Noting that the Assam Committee had called off a meeting between the two regional committees last year, Syiem made the point that the committee from the neighbouring state would need to be present for its discussion.
“We are doing our job in getting firsthand information about the sentiments of the people in these disputed areas,” he stated.
Recognising that there will be benefits and drawbacks to the dispute resolution process, he urged the public to cooperate with the committee and any decision taken by it.
It should be noted that the second phase of negotiations between Meghalaya and Assam to settle the six remaining disputes is currently stalled, and there haven’t been many meetings at the chief minister level in recent times.
The regional committees have not even convened in the last few months to deliberate on the contentious issue.