CM Sangma says Mukroh belongs to Meghalaya, Our claim is Right

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday informed the House that Mukroh village is ‘largely within the state of Meghalaya’.

The Chief Minister said this during the question interval of the budget session.
North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum had questioned the chief minister whether Mukroh, which saw the death of six civilians at the hands of the Assam police last year, falls under Meghalaya or Assam since the village was taken over. There has been a lot of discussion.
Sangma’s statement came weeks after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the assembly that the abomination was part of his state.

“I have clearly said that Mukroh is a part of Meghalaya. Facts and figures indicate that. Other statements may have been made, but our stand is clear,” Sangma told the assembly.
The census code states that Mukroh falls under West Jaintia Hills district. During the recent assembly elections in Meghalaya, voting was also held in Mukroh. This village has 1,500 voters, two polling stations and is part of Mokaiaw constituency,” he said while replying to a supplementary question raised by the voice of People’s Party MLA Adelbert Nongrum.

He said that there is a village employment council in Mukroh which has more than 500 MNREGA beneficiaries.
The CM said the village has two affordable shops with over 2,200 beneficiaries and the Meghalaya government has built a school and a health centre.

According to Sangma, other central schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Grameen) or PMAYG, Jal Jeevan and Swachh Bharat Mission (SVM) have also been implemented in villages.
Six people: Five from Mukroh and a forest guard from Assam were killed in the clash that began on November 22 last year along the disputed border when a truck loaded with “illegally cut timber” was driven into the forests of the neighboring state. It was allegedly stopped by the officials. .

On the clash, he said the lack of communication and coordination between the authorities of the two states sometimes led to tension and sporadic violence.
“We have realized that communication and coordination with our counterparts is very important to avoid escalating tensions,” he said, adding that SOPs were approved to bridge the gap.
Sangma said the November 22 violence was being probed by a commission of inquiry.

The disputed area falls on a disputed border point near the border of the Kheroni forest, with both states claiming the incident took place in their respective territories.