Border committees to meet after puja holidays
Discussions with direct stakeholders to be initiated: Tynsong
Shillong, Sep 28: The three regional committees for border issues will soon meet all stakeholders, including traditional heads and autonomous district councils (ADCs), before conducting a joint inspection to the remaining six areas of difference.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Wednesday the committees would meet soon after Durga Puja holidays.
“First, the members of the regional committees will work out as to when to invite the direct stakeholders, be it headmen/syiems or ADCs… Once that is done, we will go again to the ground (for inspection),” he added.
The state government constituted three regional committees on Monday to examine the present status of the remaining six areas of difference shared with Assam and submit their report within 45 days.
However, Tynsong did not commit on the 45-day deadline and said once meetings with stakeholders begin, it might go on for several rounds. “I can’t say exactly whether we will be able to complete it or not but of course a notification had requested us to please submit our report within 45 days,” he said.
The six areas include Langpih in West Khasi Hills District, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Deshdoomreah, Block-II in Ri Bhoi district and Block-I, Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills district.
The six-member regional committee for Ri Bhoi is headed by Tynsong, regional committee for West Khasi Hills by Cabinet minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and regional committee for West Jaintia Hills by Cabinet minister Sniawbhalang Dhar.
When asked about the non-inclusion of the KHADC chief in the two regional committees, which has areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Council, Tynsong justified that the KHADC deputy CEM and EM have been included as members of the two committees. He, however, said more members would be included if required. As far as inclusion of JHADC CEM is concerned, it was because he was looking after the areas under the regional committee for West Jaintia Hills.
On the outcome of the exercise, the deputy chief minister expressed hope saying “we should be able to resolve and come to a final conclusion about this, we do hope that”.
