SHILLONG, MAR 15: Opposition leader and United Democratic Party (UDP) president Donkupar Roy demanded an exclusive all women police battalion even as he said that setting up such a battalion will be appropriate as the state now has a woman home minister in Roshan Warjri.
Taking part in Assembly debate during the budget session on Friday, Roy said, “If we can have a lady Home minister then why not having women battalion in the state.”
Even as Roy congratulated the government on its plan to have two more battalions of Indian Reserve Police forces in the state to tackle the rising crimes against women and insurgency, Roy, however, said, “We forget the importance of women in the state our women are more capable in policing.”
First time UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh also pitched in the debate saying though the government claims that the state police are performing well, but the law and order situation in the state is not very encouraging especially in Garo hill where even the legislators are threaten by anti-social elements.
Boundary dispute
The UDP has called for adopting a resolution in the Assembly to end Meghalaya’s boundary dispute with Assam by seeking an amendment of the relevant portion of the constitution under which the Khasi-inhabited areas of Block I and Block II became part of the neighbouring state.
“Let us move the Centre for amendment of the Constitution so that
portions of the areas inhabited by the Khasis in Assam’s Block-I and
Block-II should come back to us,” UDP president and leader of the opposition Donkupar Roy urged the Assembly on Friday.
Roy said these areas under Block-I and Block-II were transferred to
Assam under the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. “We should accept the fact that it (the boundary issue) is a dispute.
It is our responsibility to solve the dispute,” he said, while calling on the Congress-led government to make use of the close ties it shares with the Assam government and the Centre to resolve the issue at the earliest.
Assam had rejected the state government’s 2011 resolution calling for the constitution of a border commission with the Centre as the third party to settle the matter once and for all.
Meghalaya and Assam have at least 12 areas of differences along the
border and both parties have failed to reach a consensus on the issue
even after several rounds of high level talks. The UDP president reminded that the disputed areas include not just Langpih and Pilangkata, but also Block-I and Block-II.
Water Policy
UDP first timer legislator Jemino Mawthoh asked the government to come up with a comprehensive ‘Water-Policy’ to protect the natural resources of the state.
Mawthoh said, “It is time that we seriously think of a good water policy to protect the environment.” He said mining has severely affected the environment and the rivers are being polluted.
Quoting the CAG report, Mawthoh said, “Out of 32 river systems, about 28 are polluted.”- By Our Reporter
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