GUWAHATI, March 11 - In order to prevent encroachment of land on the Assam side by Meghalaya, MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita in the Assembly today urged the state government to declare all bordering villages forest village.
Raising the issue of encroachment by the local people and the administration of Meghalaya, Kalita said it has become a perennial problem in the West Guwahati, Boko, Chhaygaon and Dispur LAC areas.
�The Government of Meghalaya has given an immense emphasis on developing the areas bordering Assam. On the other hand, the Assam side of the border is still underdeveloped and it is the main reason behind encroachment. For the people of Meghalaya, the land of Assam is easily accessible,� Kalita stated during the Zero Hour.
Moreover, he added that senior officials of the state government should travel to those areas to expedite the development process.
Again, to prevent law and order situations, Kalita requested the government to set up an adequate number of border outposts in the Assam-Meghalaya border region.
Presenting the statement from the government side on the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said development works in the bordering areas are the only option to prevent encroachment along the Assam-Meghalaya border.
He said the Assam government is trying to solve all such issues through discussion rather than using force.
