SHILLONG:
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said the issue related to Baikam village will be taken up in the next round of border talks with Assam.
“We have discussed this with the government of Assam and we are going to take up the matter in the next meeting,” Sangma told reporters when responding to the recent request of the people of Baikam village to be part of Meghalaya.
The chief minister informed that the matter was also taken up by the deputy chief minister in-charge (Urban) Sniawbhalang Dhar, who is also the chairman of the regional committee.
Earlier this week, Dhar had informed that the deputy commissioners of East Jaintia Hills and Cachar have been asked to conduct a joint visit to Baikam village and submit a report to the respective regional committees of Meghalaya and Assam. The decision was taken at a meeting held at Umkiang recently between representatives from Meghalaya and Assam to discuss the border issue.
“Both the DC of East Jaintia Hills and DC of Cachar will conduct a visit and submit an accurate report to the respective committees of Assam and Meghalaya. We (regional committees) will then submit a report to our respective state governments and both chief ministers will take a call on the matter,” he had said.
According to him, Baikam village (under the Ratacherra sector) has around 37 households belonging to the Khasi-Pnar community and presently the village is in Assam.
Earlier, Pnar people residing in Baikam village, which is currently under the jurisdiction of Assam, have expressed their desire to be under the ambit of Meghalaya.