Two regional committees submit reports to M’laya CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 8, 2021

The two regional committees headed by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and PHE Minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar on Wednesday submitted their respective reports to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to further discuss with Assam counterpart for resolving the long pending boundary dispute.

Informing this, Sangma told reporters that the reports were related to joint inspection conducted to the areas of difference in Ri Bhoi District and West Khasi Hills District.

He also thanked the chairpersons and members of the two committees for having worked very hard to complete the exercise.

“These are all interior locations but they have traveled and I think never in the history of the state has such kind of an exercise been conducted so it is a very great and honorable work they have done,” Sangma said.

The chief minister further informed that the state government will study the reports submitted by the two committees. “We will definitely do justice to it by going through the reports in detail,” he assured.

Regarding the next course of action, Sangma said that the government will very soon hold a consultative meeting with all stakeholders for their views and opinions before meeting with the Assam counterpart.

“(We will) further hold discussion with other stakeholders and take their opinions within the state and at the earliest meet the Assam counterpart and try to take this forward to its logical conclusion,” he added.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the regional committee for Ri Bhoi headed by him has submitted its report to the CM.

“Now the ball is in the court of the chief ministers of both the states. They need to sit down, to decide and bring out a solution,” he said when asked if the boundary dispute in the six locations can be resolved before Christmas.

When asked, Tynsong said that the responsibility of the regional committee was to listen to the people and the criteria on which the report was submitted was based on historical facts, geographical facts, ethnicity facts and the willingness of the people.

Refusing to highlight the findings of the panel, the deputy chief minister said that he is not aware whether the regional committee from Assam has submitted its report to the Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“As decided in the meeting held between the two CMs, the regional committees from both the states will submit the reports to their respective chief ministers,” he added.

After submitting his 266-page report, PHE Minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar expressed hope that there will be positive response from both the states for resolving the border dispute.

“We hope it will be for the interest of the state and the people residing in the border,” he asserted. 

Meanwhile, the regional committee for East Jaintia Hills headed by Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar had sought extension for submitting its report till December 15.