SHILLONG:
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has taken up the issue of alleged harassment of Khasi-Pnar people with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Earlier, people from West Jaintia Hills, including NGOs, demanded that the state government provide adequate security to the people residing in Block I from harassment by the United People’s Front of Karbi Longri (UPFKL).
“I have taken up the matter with the Assam chief minister and he is taking it very seriously,” Sangma told reporters.
“And as we speak the Assam government is having a series of meetings on certain incidents and issues that are there pertaining to the border area,” he said while informing that he would again get in touch with the Assam chief minister.
Further, Sangma informed that the proposed joint visit to the border areas by the chief ministers of the two states will take place after August 15.
“Just to share with you in the last four days, we have spoken to each other more than 10 times on the phone and because of certain circumstances we were not able to visit in the last few days but most probably post August 15, we will try and visit together,” he said.
“In the meantime, we are ironing out the issues that are coming up in these areas,” he added.
With regard to the alleged illegal check gate at Khanduli village in West Jaintia Hills, Sangma said that the matter will be resolved within this week.
He said that the matter has been brought to his notice by the local political leadership and public in Khanduli area.
“That issue also has been taken up by me with my Assam counterpart and I hope that we will be able to resolve that within this week itself,” he said.
Asked, the chief minister, however, said, “There is a bit of a complication in that matter but I have got an assurance from the Assam chief minister that he will resolve the issue but let’s wait for the final outcome… all efforts are being made and I am pretty sure we will resolve it.”
Tynsong’s comment
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong said the state government cannot deploy its police forces in Block-I, since it is under the administrative control of Assam.
He was responding to a query if the government would deploy adequate security personnel in Block-I in view of the alleged harassment against Khasi-Pnar villagers by a Karbi militant outfit.