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Meghalaya’s villages going to Assam due to ‘mistake’ of Mukul-led Cong govt in 2011: Conrad

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Shillong, April 12: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said the villages, which are now saying they want to be in Meghalaya, were never in the list of disputed areas submitted in 2011, by the then Congress-led government to Assam.

The chief minister also categorically stated that the previous government had committed a ‘mistake’ by submitting only 23 villages and not 29 villages in the list submitted to Assam.

He also asked the Leader of Opposition and former CM Dr. Mukul Sangma to realize that the decision of the present government to resolve the 12 areas of difference was based on the list submitted by him in 2011.

Speaking to reporters, Conrad K Sangma said the question of revisiting the border agreement signed with Assam for resolving the 6 of the 12 areas of difference does not arise.

“I would like to inform you that all the areas that were included in the map that was made and report was made in 2011 – which was not made by us but by the then government – all those villages as per the map, 21 out of the 23 villages have come to Meghalaya,” he said.

According to him, there are only two villages including Malchapara which have not come to Meghalaya.

“The other areas that are now saying we should change and bring those areas into Meghalaya were never in the 2011 report,” Conrad said and affirmed that “for Meghalaya government, now to increase and add more villages which are over and above the list which came out in 2011 is not possible”.

“As we never asked for them in 2011, the question of bringing them (to Meghalaya) does not arise now and it is very difficult for us to convince Assam why we are adding more villages to the list which was submitted in 2011. The then government had clearly stated that those villages are in Assam,” he further added.

The chief minister cited that in Mallang area, there is Mallang Salbari, Mallang, Joypur, and Huwapara – and the 2011 map had Mallang Salbari in Assam already adding “this was not drawn by us but by the previous government. The Joypur area in Mallang was also drawn beyond the 2011 map and the other villages mentioned are outside the map that was drawn in 2011.”

On the Leader of Opposition rejecting the border agreement signed by the two states, the chief minister, however, reminded that the list was given by the Leader of Opposition then when he was the chief minister.

He (Mukul) repeated in the house also that this was submitted by them, that they had done a lot of homework into this and long hours were spent in making this report.

“I personally feel that if they had gone and done a survey at that point in time maybe the lines would have been different today. If they had gone and actually asked the people that time, maybe the villages would not have been 23 but 29 villages would have been there,” Conrad said.

Stating that there were ‘mistakes’ done in 2011, the chief minister said, “Today, for me to change what was already submitted by the government as a demand is very difficult. Therefore, it is wrong for the LO to say today that he doesn’t agree to this because this was his demand. He was the chief minister and he made this list. And today we have managed to convince through public will, we managed to get 21 out of 23 villages back to Meghalaya. If there were 29 villages, I am sure that we would have got 27 out of 29 because those people wanted to come but those villages were never put in the list in 2011.”

“He should realize that he is very much part of this entire process from day one and we have only acted on the basis of the report which he submitted. And if he is today questioning the resolution, the solution, and say why those villages left out, I think he is questioning himself and the work that he did or the work that he did not do of including those villages at that point in time,” he said while adding “It is sad that he is doing that at this point in time. He should look back and review the result and he is making a lot of visits and going to different locations. I wish he had done that in 2011, may be we would have got all those villages in this list that we have.”

Understanding the sentiments and concerns of the people living in those villages, which have been excluded from the list, Conrad however said, “We have our limitations, we could not go beyond 23 villages which were in the list of demand.”

He added, “If we had the choice to redo the entire report that was submitted in 2011, I assure you we would have done it differently and we would have called all those people also. But based on the report of 2011, we were working with limited scope and limited villages and we managed to get 21 out of 23 villages that were on the list based on people’s will.”

On the HYC terming the MoU “illegal” while citing that the state government cannot transfer tribal lands without the consent of the stakeholders, the chief minister said, “I don’t know the basis of this entire point that they are mentioning but here we are looking at the administrative control… Therefore, right now the situation is we have identified the villages and the rough areas which should be there.”

He informed that the Survey of India will now go into inch by inch calculation, which tree, which stream, which building should be on which side.

“And once that is complete then it will go to Parliament and once Parliament ratifies it then it will be fully authenticated and therefore, in that situation, it is highest body in the House that is going to pass it and I don’t see any reason why it should not be acceptable,” the Chief Minister said.

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