By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 8: Deputy Chief Minister and chairperson of the Ri Bhoi district regional committee on the border, Prestone Tynsong, said it is wrong to conclude that the border panel is controlled by Assam without even seeing the report.
Alleging that the Ri Bhoi panel is being controlled by Assam, the Raid Warmawsaw-Umsohbar has decided to hold a border meeting on December 13 at Boklapara village and discuss the matter.
“They are free to have a meeting. But if they question our regional committee, I think this is wrong,” he said.
“How can they come to a conclusion that the regional committee from Meghalaya has surrendered its decision to Assam?” Tynsong asked.
A conclusion cannot be drawn until and unless one reads the report, he said.
The deputy chief minister also maintained that the committee had intimated the Syiem of Mylliem, Nongspung and Jirang when the inspection was carried out.
“We informed the headman of each and every village too. I don’t know why they are saying it is political,” he said.
The Dolloi concerned had expressed unhappiness over the joint border inspections conducted recently in areas under the Hima Nongspung.
He had warned of legal action if both the Meghalaya and Assam governments settle the vexed border issue without taking valid land documents into consideration.
“We are not satisfied with the recent visit of the regional committees of both the states. We saw that the committee headed by Tynsong was being controlled by its Assam counterpart,” the Dolloi had said.
“Unfortunately, the representatives from Meghalaya did not inform their counterparts that we have valid documents to establish that these areas fall under the jurisdiction of Hima Nongspung,” he added.
He also said four of the five villages inspected by the border panels – Patgaon, Lyngkhung, Hawla and Boklapara – have decided to be in Meghalaya while Jimbrigoan wants to be with Assam.