Shillong, July 2: The Meghalaya government has strengthened police presence in Lapangap village, located in Block I of West Jaintia Hills, following recent boundary tensions along the Meghalaya-Assam border.
Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh informed that 30 police personnel have now been deployed in the area under the leadership of the Superintendent of Police, West Jaintia Hills.
“Initially, a group of 10 Meghalaya police personnel were rushed to Lapangap village. Today, we have 30 police personnel—15 from the 1st MLP Battalion and 15 from the 3rd MLP Battalion—led by the SP of West Jaintia Hills, who are stationed at a makeshift camp we have set up at Lapangap,” Lyngdoh said on Tuesday.
This move follows appeals from civil society groups seeking stronger security measures in the wake of the tensions.
Lyngdoh said the situation has largely come under control due to the government’s prompt response. “That sense of insecurity has already, to a large extent, been controlled. We are managing things well, and hopefully, this problem will be resolved once discussions at the Regional Committee level take place.”
He stressed that the increased police deployment reflects the seriousness of the government’s commitment. “Of course, that sense of fear will still be there on the ground. But the fact that we increased the force from 10 to 30 personnel and that the SP is personally overseeing operations shows how seriously the government is taking the matter to ensure the safety of our people.”
On whether a permanent police camp would be set up in Lapangap, Lyngdoh said, “As of now, both Meghalaya and Assam have temporary camps at the site. Once the boundary issue of that particular sector is resolved at the Regional Committee level, we can move towards what you just mentioned.”
Responding to reports of a youth allegedly being assaulted by residents from across the boundary, Lyngdoh said, “No, I have not heard of any such assault.”
To a query on how the government is ensuring such incidents do not recur while talks are ongoing, Lyngdoh said, “We have tried to minimise conflict on the ground, and to a large extent, we have succeeded in maintaining peace.”
Looking ahead, he said, “By August 15, we will formally sign an additional Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), whereby five more villages will be transferred to Meghalaya as part of the Regional Committee’s recommendations, followed by talks at the Chief Ministers’ level. So things are moving in the right direction.”
He expressed hope that the boundary dispute would be fully resolved before the end of the current government’s tenure. “We would like to ensure that before the end of this government’s term, we are able to finally resolve the boundary dispute with Assam.”
When asked about the names of the villages to be transferred, Lyngdoh said, “I don’t remember the names immediately, but most of them are Garo-populated areas.”
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