SHILLONG, April 28: The member of the Hynniewtrep Border Dispute Redressal Forum( HBDRF), Thomas Passah said that there is no gain for Meghalaya in the MoU signed between the States to resolve the border dispute.
On being queried on the claims of the Government that the State has gained 18.33 sq/km out of 36.79 sq/ km from the border resolution, Passah said that there is no such gain as the area of 36.79 sq/ km is a part of Meghalaya as per the North East Reorganisation Act,1972, and in this boundary settlement Assam gained upto 18.46 sq/km of the area.
He said that in the border resolution talks, there had been a a talk on the ‘give and take’ policy to be followed, however in the agreement signed between the two Chief Ministers, there had been only a ‘give’ policy followed with Meghalaya giving away areas.
On the inability of the Government to re-examine the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Passah said that the Forum is with the groups which have objected to this matter, and the Forum gives its support to the District Council to file a petition before the Court.
The Hynniewtrep Border Dispute Redressal (HBDRF) has also demanded for a clarification from both sides, the Government of Meghalaya and the regional parties which are coalition partners in the Government as well as the KHADC in connection with the border resolution in the first phase, because the regional parties are also part of the Government and the regional parties are the parties leading the governance in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
Thomas Passah said that the statements of the Chief Minister, Conrad K.Sangma requires much clarifications, which the regional parties should seek. He also said that if the settlement has been made as per the report of 2011, then why were the Regional Committees constituted at all, and this is just a trick of the Government in luring and fooling the people.
