Shillong, Aug 11: Just three days after the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) erected two electricity poles on August 9 within the jurisdiction of Maikhuli village, tensions escalated today into a heated verbal confrontation between residents of Maikhuli and villagers from Assam.
According to information, residents of Maikhuli had opposed the ASEB’s pole installation since Saturday, raising objections that the work was carried out within their village, which lies in the disputed area between Ri-Bhoi and Assam.
The village authorities had already informed the district administration of Ri-Bhoi, requesting necessary action for the removal of these poles. However, due to alleged coercion from individuals from Assam, today’s situation intensified into a verbal clash, prompting the arrival of magistrates and police personnel from both Ri-Bhoi and Kamrup district in Assam to contain the dispute.
Sources further revealed that the incident was sparked by misinformation spread by the one man from Assam, identified as Madhav Deka, who allegedly misled border residents on the Assam side. In reality, such matters should have been addressed jointly by the district administrations of Ri-Bhoi and Kamrup.
It was alleged that Deka’s provocation led to the strong protest over the pole installation, to the point where even the district authorities’ intervention was met with disrespect from the Assam residents involved.
The Maikhuli village community is now awaiting the decision of the Deputy Commissioner’s office regarding immediate talks with the Kamrup DC. If no resolution is reached, Maikhuli residents have resolved to remove the electricity poles themselves, which they maintain were installed illegally within the boundaries of their village in Meghalaya.
