M’laya-Assam border talks: 2nd phase likely to begin after Puja

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday said that the second phase of the interstate border talks with Assam will likely begin after the puja holidays and the priority of the State government is to have a meeting of the State regional committees first, to do the homework and hold consultations with all stakeholders before the date for joint inspection with Assam is fixed.

Informing this, Tynsong said, all three state regional committees will meet, do their homework and fix a date to call the District Council, Syiems, and Rangbah-shnongs and discuss the areas in their respective places.

He said the same criteria and principles as that of the first phase will apply in the second phase too and they will be residents of the border areas will be consulted on which side they want to be with.

Meanwhile reacting to reports of border skirmishes and confrontations in certain areas, Tynsong said that it is not something new and has been happening all along.

He, however, asserted that since the formation of the regional committees both the Chief Ministers have given clear-cut instructions to the district administrations to ensure no such instances take place, and even if they do occur it has to be immediately taken up at the Deputy Commissioners level.