Mukroh part of Meghalaya: Conrad tells assembly

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday reiterated the government’s commitment to resolve the remaining six areas of dispute along the inter-state boundary with Assam, even as he maintained that Mukroh is very much within Meghalaya and there is no dispute about the area.
“The government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of residents of both inter-state and international borders,” Sangma informed during the Question Hour on the second day of the Budget session.
“There is no difference on Mukroh and it’s very much within Meghalaya. As per the census code, Mukroh is under the jurisdiction of West Jaintia Hills district,” the Chief Minister said.
Moreover, Sangma said there were several polling stations in Mukroh during this year’s Assembly election and there are Meghalaya government run fair price shops, lower primary school and health sub centre. He further informed the house that the residents of the village have job cards and are getting the benefit of schemes from the state and central government. Moreover, a temporary police outpost has also been set up in the area.
To a query about the firing incident in Mukroh in which five persons lost their lives, Sangma said an FIR has been filed into the incident and since the whole matter is under a commission of inquiry it would not be wise to provide further details on it.
The Chief Minister said the government was committed to ensure the safety and security of residents of both inter-state and international borders. He said regional committees headed by Cabinet ministers have been formed for resolving the remaining six areas of difference.
Replying to a query raised by opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) legislator, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit over the safety of residents along the disputed areas between Assam and Meghalaya, the Chief Minister said standard operating procedures is in place so that meetings between the police officials of disputed areas can be carried out regularly.
Basaiawmoit said that there is constant dear among the minds of people as the gentleman approach of Meghalaya has only emboldened Assam Government to even claimed Mukroh village in West Jaintia Hills district.
However, the Chief Minister informed that the government has created seven new border outposts along the inter-state border with Assam. In addition to the existing police stations and outposts, new police stations and police outposts in close proximity to the inter-state border of Assam have also been created, Sangma said.
“Deputy Commissioners of the bordering districts having areas of differences are in regular touch with their respective counterparts from Assam,” the Chief Minister informed.
Moreover, he said a standard operating procedure has also been issued to the Superintendents of Police, regarding measures to maintain peace and tranquillity in the areas of differences along the inter-state border.
The Chief Minister also informed that there are fourteen police stations which share their jurisdictional boundary with the international border with Bangladesh.
“There are outposts and infiltration check posts in the district bordering Bangladesh. Regular foot, mobile and long range patrolling is conducted by police personnel,” he said.