Border issues between Assam and Meghalaya have been set forth for resolution under the efforts of both the chiefs of the state lately.
Digital Desk: Governor Satya Pal Malik of Meghalaya expressed optimism on Friday that the state's border dispute with Assam would be settled soon in at least six areas of contention.
On the opening day of the budget session, Malik told the assembly that the state government is focused on improving service delivery in the health and education sectors.
"We are optimistic that the border dispute in six areas of contention will be addressed soon. "My government is determined to resolve the long-standing border conflict between Assam and Meghalaya so that our residents living in border areas can enjoy peace and development," he remarked.
In the first phase, he added, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his Assam colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke on the subject multiple times in the previous six months. They decided to address the issue in six sites – Tarabari, Gizang, Hahim, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillangkata, and Ratacherra. According to the governor, both chief ministers reached a deal in this regard on January 29 in Guwahati, and it was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further examination. Meghalaya was sculpted out of Assam as a separate state in 1972, and it had challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act, 1971, resulting in disputes over 12 areas along the shared 884.9-kilometer border.
The governor stated in his presentation that his administration is focusing on improving service delivery in the health and education sectors and investing in physical infrastructure ( roads, bridges, power, and drinking water).
However, he stated that the state government's primary priority is improving rural lifestyles and boosting agricultural, horticulture, fishery, and animal husbandry businesses.
Malik claimed that the state's general law and order situation had improved over the last year and that the police had promptly apprehended the perpetrators of a few IED blasts.
He also notified the assembly that the illegal terrorist group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has written to the state administration, indicating its desire to engage in unconditional discussions under the Indian Constitution.
"The state administration applauds this initiative and has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs to expedite the procedure." This is a significant step toward achieving long-term peace in the state, and my government is dedicated to seeing the peace talks through to their end," he said.
According to Malik, the state government has also launched the Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project, supported by the World Bank. It aims to inject roughly USD 40 million (4 crores) into the total health system over the next five years.
Malik added that so far, works worth Rs 45 crore have been given for building the infrastructure of healthcare facilities across the state to improve management capacity, quality, and consumption of health care services in Meghalaya.
According to the proposal, farmers' Collectivisation for Upscaling of Production and Marketing Systems solves the pressing concerns of production, productivity, and value chain improvement by bringing farmers together.
The government is offering Rs 5,000 to each agricultural household as part of the scheme to help them with agriculture-related tasks.
The governor stated that the state administration had implemented plans to encourage turmeric, mushroom, and pineapple production.
"The Meghalaya Eco-Tourism Infrastructure Development Project, a Rs 750 crore externally aided project under the New Development Bank, has also been initiated in the state to create iconic infrastructure at some of the state's key tourist destinations such as Sohra, Shillong, Tura, and accommodation units in villages such as Kongthong," Malik said.
He also told the House that the government plans to build 500 homestays under the Meghalaya Homestays Scheme in the 2019 fiscal year, with the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program.
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