Fast-response team mooted for Assam-Meghalaya border

Staff Correspondent

SHILLONG: The need to have a fast response team to reduce the persistent discomfort along the Karbi Anglong district of Assam and Ri-Bhoi, West Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalya was seriously deliberated at the joint meeting between political leaderships of the districts concerned along with the administrative heads at Nongpoh on Thursday.

Note mentioning that the agreed principle of both States to allow each other to carry on with the developmental works in the disputed areas along the Assam Meghalaya border has never been adhered to in the recent past.

Both states have been blaming each for the alleged breach of the agreement that was reached at the Chief Secretary level. To narrow these differences that have stalled the pace development activities, the deputy commissioners of Ri Bhoi and Karbi Anglong districts held preliminary discussions before the local political leadership joined the deliberation.

While Umroi legislator Goerge Lyngdoh represented the Meghalaya side, Baithanglangso MLE Dr Maring Rongpi led the team from Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).

Speaking to The Sentinel after the meeting, Goerge Lyngdoh said since the entire mess that continues to emerge is due to the mismatch in the administrative alignment of the two states, a joint fast-responding team is imperative to be instituted to ease these problems. He said, in Meghalya, the head of the district is the deputy commissioner whereas in Karbi Anglong it is the district council that calls the shot.

“The fast-responding team can bridge all the differences through consultations so that the developmental works carried by both sides are not disturbed,” Goerge Lyngdoh said, adding, “Solving all these issues at the ground will generate further paths for the chief secretaries of the two states and the political leadership to further the negotiations on the inter-state border issues”.

Meghalaya and Assam have 12 areas of differences that have been lying unresolved for the past four decades due to claims and counter claims over the areas located in the fringes of the inter-state border.

Also read: Meghalaya News