July 28, 2021: A day after an escalation of tension between Assam and Meghalaya on the inter-state border, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the situation is under control and asked people and district administrations of both states to refrain from taking any aggressive stand.
Sangma said both the states are working to find an amicable solution to the border conflict and that he had spoken to his Assam counterpart on Monday and Tuesday.
The MLA of Jirang, Sosthenes Sohtun, has been deputed to visit the site and report to the Meghalaya government on the matter.
Besides, the Meghalaya chief secretary M S Rao and Ri-Bhoi district deputy commissioner have been asked to talk to their counterparts in Assam on the matter, he said.
"The situation is under control as of now. I urge both sides to maintain peace as both governments are on the job to find an amicable solution to the problem. Both the state governments are working to find an amicable solution (to the border issue).
"We are asking citizens and administrations (on both sides) to refrain from taking any aggressive stand and allow the state governments to find an amicable solution," Sangma told media persons on the sidelines of the swearing-in of BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai as minister.
Inter-state border clashes between Assam and Meghalaya are not new and the tension on Monday followed alleged attempts by Meghalaya to put up electric poles at Khanapara area of Guwahati.
Meghalaya said the Assam Police had disrupted developmental activities at Longkuli village on its side along the inter-state border.
In 2010 four citizens of Meghalaya had lost their lives when Assam police opened fire at Langpih in West Khasi Hills district prompting the two-state governments to take up talks.
There had been chief ministers' level talks on the border issue on several occasions in the past.
The chief ministers' level talk had been held in Shillong even on Friday last week in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah when Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by top officials met Sangma.
The chief secretaries and district deputy commissioners too met on earlier occasions to discuss the issue.
A revenue department official of Meghalaya said the two neighbouring states had decided to maintain status quo on claims and counterclaims on at least 12 areas along the inter-state border.
They had also resolved that if any developmental work was to be undertaken in these areas, both the governments will take the other into confidence first.
A senior Assam government official Tuesday said the situation is normal and peaceful in the area.
He said that a delegation from Meghalaya, including a couple of MLAs, had visited the area on Tuesday and had urged the people to maintain restrain and peace.
"The Pillingkata area at Khanapara where the attempt was made by Meghalaya Energy Corporation on Monday to erect poles is a part of Assam and has been demarcated in maps," Biswajit Pegu, deputy commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan district, under which the Assam capital city falls, told PTI.
The local people had alerted the civil administration when officials from Meghalaya came on Monday, Pegu said.
"Our people went there and requested them not to disrupt any status quo as talks are on at the highest levels," he said.
Top officers of Kamrup Metropolitan district, including Pegu and Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, Harmeet Singh, had also visited the area on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and assuage apprehension among the people of any possible flare-up, officials said.
Monday's incident occurred on a day when five Assam Police personnel and a civilian were killed and about 60 people injured while defending the 'constitutional boundary' of the state with Mizoram as the festering border dispute between the two northeastern states erupted into a bloody conflict.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the situation along Assam-Meghalaya border is under control & asked people & district administrations of both states to refrain from taking any aggressive stand
Assam Meghalaya Border, DY365, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Meghalaya, Border
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the situation along Assam-Meghalaya border is under control & asked people & district administrations of both states to refrain from taking any aggressive stand
July 28, 2021: A day after an escalation of tension between Assam and Meghalaya on the inter-state border, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said the situation is under control and asked people and district administrations of both states to refrain from taking any aggressive stand.
Sangma said both the states are working to find an amicable solution to the border conflict and that he had spoken to his Assam counterpart on Monday and Tuesday.
The MLA of Jirang, Sosthenes Sohtun, has been deputed to visit the site and report to the Meghalaya government on the matter.
Besides, the Meghalaya chief secretary M S Rao and Ri-Bhoi district deputy commissioner have been asked to talk to their counterparts in Assam on the matter, he said.
"The situation is under control as of now. I urge both sides to maintain peace as both governments are on the job to find an amicable solution to the problem. Both the state governments are working to find an amicable solution (to the border issue).
"We are asking citizens and administrations (on both sides) to refrain from taking any aggressive stand and allow the state governments to find an amicable solution," Sangma told media persons on the sidelines of the swearing-in of BJP MLA Sanbor Shullai as minister.
Inter-state border clashes between Assam and Meghalaya are not new and the tension on Monday followed alleged attempts by Meghalaya to put up electric poles at Khanapara area of Guwahati.
Meghalaya said the Assam Police had disrupted developmental activities at Longkuli village on its side along the inter-state border.
In 2010 four citizens of Meghalaya had lost their lives when Assam police opened fire at Langpih in West Khasi Hills district prompting the two-state governments to take up talks.
There had been chief ministers' level talks on the border issue on several occasions in the past.
The chief ministers' level talk had been held in Shillong even on Friday last week in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah when Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied by top officials met Sangma.
The chief secretaries and district deputy commissioners too met on earlier occasions to discuss the issue.
A revenue department official of Meghalaya said the two neighbouring states had decided to maintain status quo on claims and counterclaims on at least 12 areas along the inter-state border.
They had also resolved that if any developmental work was to be undertaken in these areas, both the governments will take the other into confidence first.
A senior Assam government official Tuesday said the situation is normal and peaceful in the area.
He said that a delegation from Meghalaya, including a couple of MLAs, had visited the area on Tuesday and had urged the people to maintain restrain and peace.
"The Pillingkata area at Khanapara where the attempt was made by Meghalaya Energy Corporation on Monday to erect poles is a part of Assam and has been demarcated in maps," Biswajit Pegu, deputy commissioner of Kamrup Metropolitan district, under which the Assam capital city falls, told PTI.
The local people had alerted the civil administration when officials from Meghalaya came on Monday, Pegu said.
"Our people went there and requested them not to disrupt any status quo as talks are on at the highest levels," he said.
Top officers of Kamrup Metropolitan district, including Pegu and Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, Harmeet Singh, had also visited the area on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and assuage apprehension among the people of any possible flare-up, officials said.
Monday's incident occurred on a day when five Assam Police personnel and a civilian were killed and about 60 people injured while defending the 'constitutional boundary' of the state with Mizoram as the festering border dispute between the two northeastern states erupted into a bloody conflict.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the situation along Assam-Meghalaya border is under control & asked people & district administrations of both states to refrain from taking any aggressive stand
Assam Meghalaya Border, DY365, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Meghalaya, Border