Border panel to submit report on Dec 8

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 6, 2021

The Regional Committee for West Khasi Hills District headed by PHE Minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar is all set to submit its final report on the inter-state boundary dispute to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on December 8.

“We are trying to submit our report day after tomorrow. However, it depends on the Chief Minister…I will speak to him whether he is convenient to meet us and accept our report on December 8,” Tongkhar told journalists on Monday.

The Mawkyrwat legislator said the report was finalized during a meeting of the regional committee at Nongstoin on November 29, one day before the last date (November 30) fixed by the government.

“Of course we have managed to complete the report on that day (November 29) but because the Chief Minister was not in station we have not been able to submit the report till date,” he added.

Tongkhar also said the meeting of the state level committee will soon be held to study the reports submitted by the three regional committees constituted for finding solutions to resolve the six areas of difference shared with Assam.

“The meeting of the state level committee will be held first once reports by all the regional committees are submitted after which the Chief Ministers’ level talk between Assam and Meghalaya will take place,” he added.

When asked, Tongkhar said in fact both the Chief Ministers have expressed their desire to resolve the differences as a Christmas gift to the people residing in the border within this month.

“Both CMs have expressed that they will be very happy if we can give it as a Christmas gift to the people by settling down the differences within this month itself. Of course it depends on Assam also how much they have done whether they are able to submit the report to the Assam CM,” he said.

“We still have 24 days left this month, we hope it will be a big thing if we can give it as a Christmas gift to the people of the state by settling down these differences that we have,” he stated.

If the report will also be shared with their Assam counterpart, Tongkhar said not necessarily but the reports of the joint inspection by both the states should be tallied. “Our reports should be tallied. But the details of the report will be sent only to our chief minister,” he said.

Whether give and take policy will be recommended in its report, Tongkhar said that the give and take policy from both the states will not work for resolving this long pending boundary issue except that both have to respect the will of the people living in the border areas.

“The wish of the regional committee in the district I am heading, we wish both state governments should respect the will of the people. I personally feel if we want to have peaceful settlement, there is no other factor, ways and means to settle except respecting the will of the people staying in the border villages,” he said.

“If we go according to the will of the people, it is not that we give or we take or they give or they take… it is the wish of the people staying in those areas so give and take policy of both the states I don’t think it will work in that (resolving the issue),” he concluded.