STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The governments of Assam and Meghalaya today agreed to ensure the safe and secure transit of vehicles and tourists travelling between the two states, with Meghalaya reiterating that it would take responsibility for the safety and security of tourists and vehicles from Assam and other parts of the country during their stay and movement within the state.
Meghalaya Deputy CM Dr Sniawbhalang Dhar today assured the safety and security of tourists and vehicles from Assam and other parts of the country in a joint press conference following a high-level meeting between the governments of Meghalaya and Assam at Guwahati.
The meeting between the two state governments was held at Koinadhara State Guest House in Guwahati on Saturday to deliberate on the developments following the August 19 incident in Shillong, in which vehicles from Assam were targeted by alleged miscreants who were part of a Khasi Students' Union (KSU) rally.
Today's meeting between the Assam and Meghalaya governments was led by Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Dr S. Dhar and Assam Cabinet Minister Atul Bora and was attended by senior officials of both governments.
The two governments also agreed to take necessary measures to ensure safe transit of vehicles travelling from southern Assam to other parts of the state, including movement from the Barak Valley, through Meghalaya. Similar arrangements will be made for people travelling from Meghalaya to other parts of the state via Assam.
After more than three hours of deliberations, the Meghalaya government expressed regret over the August 19 incident in Shillong and assured the Assam government that strong action would be taken against those involved. The Meghalaya government also stated that the president, vice-president and general secretary of the KSU had been arrested under the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act and 15 FIRs had so far been registered in connection with the August 19 incident.
Five masked persons have also been identified as being involved in the violence, particularly in attacks on Assam-registered vehicles. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to identify all those involved in the violence and specifically those responsible for the attacks and to prosecute them according to law.
It also emerged in the meeting that more than 3,770 Assam-registered vehicles have already been safely escorted out of Meghalaya and into Assam.
The Assam Control Room, monitoring the helplines set up by Assam Police, has received 54 distress calls involving 175 persons requiring assistance for evacuation from Meghalaya. These include 22 private vehicles and five tourist vehicles. The Meghalaya Control Room, meanwhile, has received 379 distress calls, and steps have been taken to facilitate the safe transit of those seeking assistance.
Around 400-500 vehicles that were earlier held up in Meghalaya have now crossed key transit corridors, including the Umiam Lake section, according to the statement by Deputy CM Dhar.
The two governments agreed that any passenger or vehicle still awaiting transfer to Assam would be safely escorted within the next 48 hours. A dedicated exercise will be undertaken to ensure that every tourist or vehicle wishing to return to Assam is facilitated and safely escorted.
As part of efforts to improve coordination, a dedicated mechanism will be established between the Inspector General of Police, Special Branch, Assam, and the IG, Law & Order, Meghalaya. Dedicated helplines and an online support forum will also be activated to help locate and facilitate stranded persons.
The helplines are WhatsApp number 91 810 14 888 and landline number 0361-2381-511. The coordination mechanism will remain operational until the situation is fully normalised.
The two states also decided to constitute permanent district-level joint committees comprising the Deputy Commissioner, Nongpoh, and the District Commissioner, Kamrup Metropolitan, along with police officers of corresponding levels from both sides. The committees will promptly address day-to-day issues arising along the inter-state border.
A separate joint committee on tourist transport will also be constituted, comprising Commissioner or Secretary-level Transport authorities of both states and representatives of tourist vehicle associations. The committee will facilitate and regulate tourist vehicle movement and safeguard the shared tourism interests of Assam and Meghalaya. The meeting also stressed the need to ensure uninterrupted and safe movement between the two states, particularly in view of the dependence of people and transport operators on inter-state routes.