Meghalaya verifying dual voters in Assam side

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Some 2,600 people residing along the Assam-Meghalaya border in Boko LAC are scared stiff following the issuance of notices to them by the Meghalaya State Election Department for hearing.

The fringe dwellers along the Assam-Meghalaya border in the Kamrup district are dual voters. They have voter cards from Assam and Meghalaya as well. Some people in villages like Langpi, Hahim, Compatuli, Malang Jaipur, Athiabari, Gameri Salbari etc., have dual voter cards. At Athiabari, officials from Meghalaya came on Thursday and held a meeting. They told the villagers, "If you want to stay with Meghalaya, you need to surrender your voter cards of Assam to your gaonburha. Or else, we will cancel your Meghalaya voter cards."

Talking to The Sentinel, Boko MLA Nandita Das said, "All these fringe villages come under my constituency. The fringe dwellers have two voter cards – one from Assam and the other from Meghalaya.

"These people take Meghalaya voter cards to avail benefits from the Meghalaya government. They also have voter cards from Assam. They avail benefits from the Assam government as well. Now the Meghalaya State Election Department has issued notices to these people for hearing. The Meghalaya government wants to know which state these fringe-dwellers want to side with.

"I have taken up the issue with the State Assembly Speaker today."

MLA Das wants interference from the State government in this crucial matter. She said, "If this fringe-dwellers side with Meghalaya, the neighbouring state will claim that disputed areas as theirs. The State Government needs to interfere into this as the issue is related to the boundary of the state."

The ground situation is that in Assam, all these fringe areas fall under forest lands where development activities do not take place. On the contrary, Meghalaya has no such restriction for development works in border areas. Meghalaya has well-developed roads, hospitals, schools and other facilities along the disputed border stretches. These benefits lure the people of Assam to be voters of Meghalaya as well.

On August 6, 2021, the office of the West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner issued an order stating that "individuals allegedly possess dual voter cards in the states of Meghalaya and Assam, the booth-level officers are hereby ordered for an inquiry and undertaking field verification of all such existing dual enrollment cases and to take necessary action…"

Meghalaya conducted a hearing of such voters in six different places – Wreang, Malongkona, Malapara, Athiabari, Lejadubi and Kyrshai – on Thursday.

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