NCP walks out from Meghalaya assembly on encroachment issue
By IANSThursday, June 10, 2010
SHILLONG - The opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Thursday walked out of the Meghalaya assembly to protest fresh encroachment of territory by Assam and the state government’s response to it.
Even though Chief Minister Mukul Sangma made a statement on the issue, the NCP legislators were not satisfied with it and demanded a categorical statement on the issue.
Terming Sangma a “weak” chief minister, Leader of Opposition Conrad Sangma told reporters outside that the people want categorical action from the chief minister on Assam’s ongoing encroachment of Meghalaya’s territory.
“So far the chief minister has only expressed deadly words but not deadly action on the issue,” the NCP said.
In his statement, the chief minister said that his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi admitted in June 5 meeting that the Assam government encroached at Psiar and Khatkasla areas in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills district.
“We (Meghalaya) will not be a mere spectator to any move taken by Assam government unilaterally which is against the spirit of agreement arrived at the (June 5) chief ministerial level meeting,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor the ground situation regularly and police personnel are patrolling in those areas,” the chief minister said, referring to Assam’s fresh encroachment in Jaintia Hills district.
On June 5, the two chief ministers had reached an agreement to maintain status quo in the disputed areas between the two states and not to allow fresh settlement in these areas. Any development work would be carried out by either government only after informing the other.
As soon as the chief minister completed his statement, Conrad Sangma asked him to make a categorical statement on the border dispute.
“The chief minister’s statement gives no assurance to direct district administration to evict the Assam police from Khatkasla area in Jaintia Hills district,” he said.
However, Speaker Charles Pyngrope rejected the demand, saying that he would not allow any more discussion on the matter since the chief minister has already made his reply.
