SHILLONG:
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said that the Block 1 will be taken up in the second phase of talks with Assam while admitting people residing there have suffered immense hardship over the years.
He was replying to a call attention moved by UDP legislator from Mookaiaw, Nujorki Sungoh, in the Assembly
Drawing the attention of the House, Sungoh earlier said that the people living in Block I “yearn for the day when they will be united with Meghalaya once again”.
Sungoh said that the Centre, Assam and “to some extent” Meghalaya, have neglected the residents who according to him live a life worse than refugees and that too in their own land.
“The untold sorrow, pain and hardships that they have to face cannot be described by me,” Sungoh said.
Stating that the residents of Block I have been subjected to undue harassment by government officials from Assam and militants, and that they have been deprived of their basic rights like drinking water, healthcare and education, the MLA said that the matter be taken up by the government.
He said that on September 20, 2020, a team of heavily armed police personnel from Assam entered Moolber village in the middle of the night and indiscriminately fired 50 rounds from their automatic rifles in the air to terrorise the villagers. The MLA said that such the incident went unreported in the media.
On January 7, 2022 a youth identified as Nibok Langstang had ventured out to collect firewood but was arrested by Assam police without any reason and was released only at the intervention of the state’s district administration.
Sungoh also said that villagers from Mukhroh were taxed for carrying paddy straw, firewood and personal use of timber without being issued any challans.
“This was done by one forest check gate which was set up by the government of Assam at Khliehsniehrew two kilometres from Mukhroh,” he said.
Taking note of the infrastructure in the village, particularly health facilities and roads, the MLA said that there is only one sub-centre located in Psiar village and to avail its services people from Moojem, Lamarang and Skap, among others travel more than 20 kilometres. He suggested setting up of a PHC at Moolber village as it is centrally located.
He also proposed the construction of the Khatkasla-Moojem-Jrikyndeng road which will be the only one to link all the villages in Block I.
Sangma said that there have been a lot of challenges in the Block I area and that in the past, the residents have suffered a lot. He maintained that the Block I being an area of difference, the residents there have faced a slew of problems.
Sangma also said that despite this, there has been some development in the area that includes SSA building at Moolber village, construction of the 15.517-kilometre inter-state road from Meghalaya to Assam under the North East Road Sector Development Scheme is under progress, construction of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan building at Psiar village is on and repairing of the road from Lapangap to Khanduli under MGNREGA is also underway.
The chief minister said that the MDA government is firm that there must be a way forward in the 12 areas of differences with Assam.
“We want to ensure that solutions to the issues in Block I are found,” the chief minister said, adding that this will be taken up in the second phase of the border talks with Assam.