SHILLONG, May 14: The General Secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Dr.Jemino Mawthoh said that after opposition was expressed by the people who were affected in the interstate border, the party expressed that the Government needs to revisit the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the settlement of the boundary signed between the Meghalaya Government and Assam Government in Delhi
He said that the border dispute is an issue that has been long pending, while expressing that there are still 6 sites of dispute which need to be resolved, and added that if hurdles begin to emerge, it will affect the resolution of the 6 remaining sites of dispute in the second phase.
In the meeting of the MDA Coordination Committee this week, the Chairman of the Committee who is also the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad Kongkal Sangma informed that the parties in the coalition government have not expressed a demand to re-examine or revisit the MoU. While the MDCs of the UDP in the KHADC through the Boundary Committee have decided to support the land owners and local Chiefs by filing a petition in the Court due to their dissatisfaction over the MoU.
On being queried on this matter, Mawthoh expressed that he cannot say much on the matter of the MoU not being taken up in the MDA Coordination Committee because he was not present at the meeting.However, he said that as a leader of the party, he had already spoken about the need to look again at the sites where oppositions have arisen.
He also informed that he had spoken on the statement of the Chief Executive Member of the KHADC who expressed the need to re-examine the affected sites in the border resolution. He said that it is now up to the National People’s Party which leads the Government to respect that expression.
On being queried further, Mawthoh said that there has been a difference of opinion between the MLAs and the MDCs in connection with the border resolution process, but it is the recommendation of the party which will finally stand.
