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Meghalaya to set up outposts along border with Assam
The Meghalaya government on Tuesday announced the establishment of border outposts (BOPs) in seven sensitive areas identified along the state border with Assam.
The Meghalaya government on Tuesday announced the establishment of border outposts (BOPs) in seven sensitive areas identified along the state border with Assam.
The move comes a week after six people — an Assam forest department guard and five khasi villagers — were killed in a firing incident at Mukhroh village in West Jaintia Hills district. The incident sparked a blame game between both states and they have asked the Union home ministry to setup a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
After chairing a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, chief minister Conrad K Sangma said, “We have officially sanctioned and approved seven BOPs in sensitive areas and upgradaton of police outposts in Patharkhmah and Kyrshai in Ri Bhoi and West Khasi Hills district.”
The seven BOPs will be established in Muriap in East Jaintia Hills; Mukroh and Tiwieh in West Jaintia Hills; Rani (Jirang) in Ri Bhoi; and Umwali, Lejadubi and Langpih in West Khasi Hills.
The required manpower and infrastructure will be immediately sanctioned and created, the chief minister said.
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Speaking on Tuesday, CM Sangma said the cost of each BOP will be roughly ₹2 crore annually. “It is about ₹14 crore of expenditures annually for the 7 BOPs and roughly, in the other locations about ₹3-4 crore. We are looking at this decision leading to an impact of about ₹17-18 crore...” he added.
He further said that the government will come up with a second list of BOPs.
“We will be coming up with a second list soon and that will be done after a more detailed study is done in Ri Bhoi area. We have asked the DGP to make a visit to those areas and come back with a proposal, especially in areas of difference in the Block-II area, which mainly falls under Ri Bhoi district,” he said.
Since, it’s statehood, there have been areas of difference Berwyn the two states with each claiming ownership from time to time. This has led to frequent skirmishes between people residing in these areas, mostly over land ownership.
Most of the cultivate land, community forest are located in these areas. Over the recent years, villagers of these areas have been claiming that Assam has been slowly encroaching into their lands.
As recent as since the last 3-4 years there have been frequent reports of villagers having to pay hefty amounts as tax to Assam forest and police personnel to collect firewood, paddy and other farm produce before reigning to their villages.
According to Sangma, the BOPs will be set up in areas where there is no difference. “These are areas which are going to be in locations which already have a police presence, and that it is like an upgradation in one way,” he said.
“For instance, Assam already has a BOP in Langpih but Meghalaya only has an anti-dacoity camp and the same will now be upgraded into a BOP. By doing this, the police forces of both the states can speak to each other and resolve any issues that may crop up,” Sangma said.
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“These measures are required to bring back a sense of normalcy and make people confident and safe in their own villages,” he said.
On the demand for creation of a separate IPS cadre for the state, Sangma said his government will continue to pressurise the Centre. “I have mentioned many times to the Home Ministry and I have also mentioned this to the Prime Minister. They inform me that they are looking into the matter but we have not able to yet get it done. We will continue to pressurise the government of India that it is in the larger and in the long term interest of both the states that we have separate cadres,” he said.
Sangma also said the state government is examining a demand to give government jobs to the family members of those killed in the firing incident of November 22.
