SHILLONG, Jan 13: Amid news of Assam and Meghalaya governments nearing a conclusion on the border dispute matter, a recent case of illegal land occupation in Chatibui market has given rise to an alleged altercation between Assam Police and Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) members from Meghalaya.
As per the statement given by the president of AHAM Central Executive Body, Georgeprince Ch Momin, the feud in the mentioned Chatibui market in Garo Hills took place on Thursday when officials of Assam along with their state police came to evict the residents of Meghalaya on the pretext of ‘evicting the illegal occupants’. The Assam officials have reportedly claimed that the land belongs to one Akash Ali from Mancachar and as such, attempted to evict the residents, shopkeepers and other establishments from the state of Meghalaya. However, when leaders and members of AHAM demanded to see the documents proving their claims, the Assam officials failed to produce them.
Contrary to this, Momin said that the residents and shopkeepers from Meghalaya have in their possession the proof of paying taxes for the land in question to the GHADC ever since its inception, and as such any sort of intervention from the Assam Police is uncalled for and questionable.
Within this context, the organisation has asked the government of Meghalaya to be vigilant and keep a check on further cases of illegal land grabbing in the border regions of both the states.
As regards the actions taken by them so far, the president said that they had made a call to the Deputy Chief Executive Member of GHADC and Executive Member in charge of Land and Revenue, Nikman Ch Marak, but have received no positive response in this regard.
The organisation further expressed their plan to meet with the chief minister and apprise him of the matter, keeping in mind the ongoing developments on resolving the issues.
