Regional Body on Border to Meet on Oct 6; Jaintia Village Wants to Remain in Meghalaya
SHILLONG: The regional committee set up to study the Assam-Meghalaya border dispute in West Jaintia Hills district will meet for the first time on October 6 to formulate a set of a viable strategies to resolve the decade-old issue.
To be presided over by urban affairs minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, the meeting will thoroughly discuss the issue and prepare some recommendations to end the dispute in the district bordering the state of Assam.
On the other hand, the local residents of Baikam, supported by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Thursday called on state home minister Lahkmen Rymbui and demanded the government's intervention to retain the village.
The delegation said that the government must ensure that Baikam is not disturbed in the name of resolving the border dispute.
They said that the tiny hamlet comprising 40 households in East Jaintia Hills, was left out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed between the governments of Meghalaya and Assam to resolve 6 out of 12 disputed areas.
"The villagers of Baikam do not want to be in Assam. They want to be on the side of Meghalaya only. But they were not aware of the regional committee members' visit in the Ratacherra sector during the first phase of boundary dialogue," HYC general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem.
The villagers got to know about the joint inspection by the regional committees only after the MoU was signed, he said.
He urged the home minister to raise the issue with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Notably, the Meghalaya government has already set up 3 regional committees to examine the second phase of boundary settlement in the six areas of difference. The second phase comprises Langpih in West Khasi Hills District; Borduar, Nongwah- Mawtamur, Deshdoomreah, Block-ll in Ri-Bhoi District; Block-l, Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills District.
Also Read: Border Row: Regional Committees Announced to Resolve Dispute with Assam
Also
Watch: