GUWAHATI:
In the aftermath of the Mukroh firing incident, the Centre has deployed four companies of Border Security Force (BSF) to work as neutral forces along the Assam-Meghalaya border, special DGP GP Singh said after a visit to Mukroh in West Karbi Anglong on November 29.
“Two companies are working in the Meghalaya side and two companies are working on the Assam side. In addition to this, there are joint patrols of Assam Police and Meghalaya Police along the border to avert all untoward incidents,” Singh said.
“On the day of the incident IGP (law and order) Prashant Bhuyan, DIG (Central Range), Satyaraj Hazarika, and Commissioner Manish Thakur camped here for five days to review the situation, there is a difference between the situation that day and today,” Singh also said.
The special DGP said that they are trying to build up confidence among people of the two states, and it will take time to normalize the situation
“Talks are going on the boundary dispute. Our chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has taken the initiative to resolve the matter,” he added.
Regarding the case to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the special DGP said they wrote to the CBI to transfer the case, and the notification for the transfer of the case will be brought out soon.
“This incident is not related to the border. We have already told the police and forest department to come up with an investigation into the people involved in timber smuggling. We have told them to investigate the people of both the states of Assam and Meghalaya who are involved in timber smuggling. If it is found that the people from Meghalaya are involved in timber smuggling, we have to bring it to the notice of Meghalaya Police for action,” he said.
During his visit to Mukroh, Singh was accompanied by a team of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) led by Chief Executive Member (CEM), Tuliram Ronghang.
The team was also accompanied by Diphu MP Horensing Bey, Boithalangso MLA Rupsing Teron, DIG Satyaraj Hazarika, and West Karbi Anglong SP Indranil Baruah.
Later Ronghang told reporters that a meeting between Assam and Meghalaya will be held soon to resolve the border problem through discussion.
“A police station and a forest range office will be set up at Mukroh to protect the forest falling under Karbi Anglong,” Ronghang said, adding that they will not compromise with the territorial integrity of Karbi Anglong, not even an inch of land will be given away to illegal settlers.