'Schools in Assam used as polling stations in Meghalaya polls'

Congress MLA Nandita Das today claimed that three schools of Lampi in Kamrup district of Assam were used as polling stations in the just-concluded Meghalaya elections.

"Lower Lampi LP School, Khatapara LP School and Umtap UP School of Assam were used by the Meghalaya authorities as polling stations on February 27 even as the administration and the police in Kamrup looked the other way despite getting complaints," she said in Assam Assembly.

The Assembly elections in Meghalaya was conducted on February 27 this year.

Raising the issue as 'Special Mention', Das said that a total of 650 votes were cast in these three polling centres.

"This is all the more shocking as the schools remain 9 km inside Assam side of the Assam-Meghalaya border," she added.

Das alleged that border areas such as Lampi have been neglected by governments over the years, emboldening the neighbouring states to utilise Assams territory for their official purposes and encouraging encroachment.

"With growing encroachment and official activities at Lampi, Meghalaya is now in a position to claim legitimacy of its illegal occupation of Assam's land. The Assam government should wake up to the grim reality and intervene immediately and decisively," she added.

Das said that the Lampi area on the city outskirts had immense tourism potential with its scenic beauty and cool temperatures even during the summer, but nothing has been done to tap that.

Replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the Border Areas Development portfolio, IT Minister Keshab Mahanta admitted that the areas of Umtap, Khatapara and Lower Lampi were under encroachment.

He, however, informed that as per an official report following the Meghalaya polls, the polling centres were shifted by the Meghalaya authorities from the schools in question.

"We will have another enquiry conducted by the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner to ascertain whether Meghalaya used our schools as voting centres and the status of the encroachment in those areas, Mahanta said.

The minister added that following meetings between the DCs of Kamrup in Assam and West Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, it was agreed to maintain status quo in the areas having boundary disputes.

He also accused the previous Congress government of remaining indifferent to the problem of aggressive encroachment by neighbouring states.

AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita urged the government to entrust an official with full charge of border affairs in different disputed areas in view of the fact that the DCs are overburdened with other responsibilities.

Abdul Khaleque of the Congress suggested that Assam should adopt an aggressive stand on border protection rather than remaining passive to the widespread incidents of border area encroachment by neighbouring states.