SHILLONG:
The three regional committees constituted by the government recently have been given 45 days to submit their respective reports on the disputed areas along Meghalaya’s border with Assam.
According to a government notification, the reports should be based on the inspection of the villages and on the agreed yardsticks of historical perspective, ethnicity of the local population, administrative convenience of local people, contiguity with the boundary and the perception of the people living in the area.
Earlier this week, the government constituted the three committees to examine the present status of the remaining six areas of difference, namely, Langpih in West Khasi Hills; Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Deshdoomreah, Block-II in Ri Bhoi; and Block- I, Psiar – Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills District.
These committees are to coordinate with the corresponding committees constituted by Assam in order to cross-reference and verify the names of the villages (sub-villages) claimed by Meghalaya with the names of villages as per records of the neighbouring government, and thereafter establish the geographical location of the villages and their contiguity.
They are to examine the status of population of villages as per census records,which includes ethnic data, and to prepare an ‘As-Is’ Public Asset Register in the villages.
The committees shall also visit each village, speak to its residents and elected representatives of autonomous district councils and other stakeholders to learn about the perception of the people living in the area and to document the factual information regarding the physical and time-wise distances from the villages to the nearest public service delivery point/administrative unit.
The committee can co-opt any member whenever necessary.
In terms of logistics and secretarial support, the jurisdictional deputy commissioners will provide all the secretarial and logistic support for effective functioning of the committees, and the member convenor of the respective committees should fix the date of visit and discussion in consultation with their respective counterparts in Assam, who will perform similar duties as well.