Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 4: Meghalaya has submitted its claims over 61 villages under the Langpih sector, which is among the six remaining unresolved areas of difference with Assam.

The regional committees constituted by Meghalaya and Assam will soon submit their respective final report after a joint visit to villages under the Langpih sector in West Khasi Hills District.

Chairman of the Regional Committee for West Khasi Hills Paul Lyngdoh said, “During our meetings, we have submitted a list of 61 villages and these are being studied by the government of Assam.”

“We have had detailed discussions even on those villages and the discussions have gone on a very positive note,” he added.

He said that the 61 villages are mostly inhabited by Khasi and Garo populations while some are with mixed populations and a couple of villages with Nepali residents.

Lyngdoh, who is also cabinet minister, said the joint field visit with Assam counterpart was supposed to happen in the month of November. He informed that he had spoken to the chairman in charge of the Kamrup district sector Chandra Mohan Patowary, who had expressed his inability to attend the joint visit and requested for time, which is why matters are still pending now.

“But I am pursuing the matter with him (Patowary). This is a bilateral matter and Meghalaya cannot act unilaterally, I mean we cannot submit a report without Assam counterpart visiting the sites along with us but it will happen,” he said while adding “I assure you that as soon as we get the final word from Patowary, we will organize maybe a couple of days of visits to the areas of dispute and then submit our final reports because already preparatory meetings have been held, detailed discussions have taken place both in Guwahati and Shillong and what is left is just the field visits which will take a couple of days and then we submit the final report.”

Lyngdoh said the committee will also seek an extension of time for submission of the final report after the government has recently fixed December 31, 2023, as the deadline.

Further, the chairman of the regional committee said that the field visit is just to instill that sense of confidence in the disputed areas so that people will have confidence that the two governments are working in tandem to resolve all differences so that they live with a sense of security in those villages.

The District Medical & Health Officer of East Khasi Hills Dr A Lyngdoh has admitted that there is shortage of medicines at present due to a transition of procurement of drugs in the state.

This was stated in an action taken report in connection with the treatment of typhoid fever cases at Shella PHC and Ichamati CHC sent to the HYC general secretary Roykupar Synrem here.

This came after the HYC had written to the DM&HO for providing adequate medicines in the two health centres for the treatment of typhoid fever and to conduct investigation into the causes of such disease.

“There is a shortage of medicines at present since there is a transition of procurement of drugs from the state to the newly constituted corporation viz Meghalayan Medical Drugs & Services Limited (MMDSL). We are hereby submitting to the DHS (MI)/MMDSL the list of drugs that are required to combat the current crisis,” Dr Lyngdoh said in the action taken report.

She also informed that a team from the IDSP cell will be visiting Shella on April 28, to conduct an investigation for verification of the cases and identifying the source of illness.

A letter has been issued to all facilities including Shella & Ichamati to conduct awareness programmes on the symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention of the diseases, Dr Lyngdoh added.