Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home department Prestone Tynsong said that allegations of harassment and highhandedness towards the residents of Meghalaya in the border with Assam are subject to verification.
“You cannot just blindly say that… The talks between the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Assam is almost twice or thrice a week where even small issues are shared,” Tynsong told reporters.
He also said that even at the level of the district administration both sides meet often to discuss issues and concerns.
Recently the West Karbi Anglong district administration in Assam is on the lookout for four persons of Jatalong village in Ri Bhoi district along the inter-state Meghalaya-Assam border.
This after the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Hamren, West Karbi Anglong district issued summons against one Proming Surong and arrests warrants against three others – Walking Lynshiang, Phrilin Mynsong and Donbok Nongspung.
On this issue, he said that the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) filed a case in the court and it took cognisance of the incident.
“In fact it is not the state government of Assam who did it. This has been done by the autonomous council of Karbi Anglong,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Tynsong informed that during a discussion between the Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Assam, the latter said that he would intervene into the matter and ask the KAAC if they can withdraw the case.
“That will be the best step to carry forward in the midst of the border talks,” he said.
Tynsong also said that the delay in meeting of the regional committees of Meghalaya and Assam if one is free the other one is not free.
He also pointed out that in Ri-Bhoi district while Meghalaya has one regional committee Assam has three chairmen.
‘Assam has three different chairman and three different members. So when one committee is free the other is not,” he said.
Earlier, participating in a discussion on a motion about the problems faced by people in border dispute brought by Mawhati MLA Charles Marngar in the house today, Congress MLA Dr Celestine Lyngdoh has urged the state government to settle or remove the arrest warrant with the neighbouring state. “Just by giving a verbal assurance to the people living in the border area is not enough,” he said.
He state the four Jatalong villagers are living in fear as Assam police are on the hunt though it was not their fault.
Lyngdoh said that the deputy commissioners posted along the inter-state border should be more proactive in tackling issues that erupt through reassurance, care and attention to the border villagers besides patrolling by police once in two or three months.
“This will indicate that the government is serious about their security. Yes, your problem is within our concern and these are the signals we show to our people living in the border areas,” Lyngdoh said.
He further raised the issue of tax levied on farmers living at the border areas. According to Lyngdoh a farmer has to pay 13,000 as tax for ferrying produce like broomstick. “If this is not the amount of tax but call it daylight robbery,” he added.
“We as a government cannot protect our people from the daylight robbery that is happening. An amount like 200 or somewhere can be called as tax but 13,000 per mahindra pickup that is more than robbery,” he said.
