Meghalaya TMC chief Charles Pyngrope has called for verification of the allegations that Assam government officials were attempting to force residents of villages in the Langpih area to enrol in Assam’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Expressing concern over the allegations on Sunday, he further urged for talks on between the administration of the two States on the matter.
Residents of Langpih, an area located near the inter-state border, had reportedly approached Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and other Meghalaya government officials, alleging that Assam government officials had been visiting their villages and attempting to enrol them in the SIR exercise.
“It is a major concern, but since it has been brought to the government’s notice, I think the Deputy Commissioner of the district should verify these facts and speak to the (Assam) counterpart to ensure that these things do not happen,” he said.
He emphasised that the two district administrations engage with each other, as the villages concerned are located in a sensitive area along the inter-state border.
The villagers claimed that they had raised the issue earlier but were compelled to approach the government after allegedly receiving no effective response.
Pyngrope said the state government should take the matter seriously and ensure that a dialogue is initiated between the two district administrations to prevent the issue from escalating.
