CM level talks on Assam-Meghalaya border dispute soon: Tynsong

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 9, 2019

SHILLONG: Chief Minister level talks on the contentious issue of Assam-Meghalaya border dispute will be held very soon, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong informed the House during the Assembly here on Monday. 

Replying to a query raised by opposition member from Umroi George B Lyngdoh during the question hour, Tynsong said the state government has already decided to have dialogue at the level of the chief ministers of the two states. 

“A letter was also sent to the Assam chief minister to fix the convenient date to have the dialogue. The chief minister level talks will be held very soon and I hope we will be able to come up with some solutions to solve this pertinent problem,” he said. 

He also informed that the a chief secretary level meeting was also held on June 21, to discuss border issues and standard operating procedures for lines of communication were mutually agreed upon. 

Stating the meeting was a very fruitful one, Tynsong said both the states agreed that the officer in-charge (OC) level meeting be held once a week, if necessary to resolve local problems with in their respective jurisdictions.

Lyngdoh however said unlike Assam, here the state government is leaving it to the district officials to handle the issue. He suggested the state government to constitute a response team which will be part in all the border talks. 

The deputy chief minister while noting down the suggestion of the member further clarified that in case the issue is not resolve at the OC level, it will be taken up at the level of the deputy commissioner, then to chief secretary level and ultimately to the state government. 

He also assured that the state government is taking up the issue very seriously. 

Earlier, Tynsong informed that as many as 20 incidents had taken place due to inter-state border dispute in West Jaintia Hills during 2017 to 2019, while 21 in Ri Bhoi District, 14 in West Khasi Hills District and 1 in West Garo Hills District. 

According to him, the respective deputy commissioners and superintendents of police immediately took up the issues with their respective counterparts in Assam to defuse the problem.