IGI Logo

Responding to the demand of the local residents and various organisations, the Meghalaya government on Tuesday decided to set up seven new police outposts in all "sensitive areas" in four districts along the inter-state border with Assam.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, after a cabinet meeting said that the council of ministers approved the setting up of seven police outposts in West Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi and East Jaintia Hills districts along the inter-state boundary.

He informed that an estimated expenditure of Rs 14 crore has been sanctioned by the cabinet, which also approved the up-gradation of the existing outposts to full-fledged police stations at Patharkhmah in Ri Bhoi and Kyrshai in West Khasi Hills to enhance the security in the inter-state bordering areas.

The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the Meghalaya Mental Health and Social Care Policy, amendment to the Meghalaya Victim Compensation Scheme 2019.

"Meghalaya is the third state in India to have come out with a policy for Mental Health and Social Care. This policy will ensure proper attention to mental health especially for children, adolescents and youth," the Chief Minister said in a tweet.

The Meghalaya government's decision to set up seven new border outposts and upgradation of two new border outposts comes after eight days following November 22 Assam-Meghalaya border violence and shooting that also killed five Meghalaya citizens and an Assam forest guard at Mukroh village in West Jaintia Hills district.

The Assam Police and forest guards on November 22 intercepted a truck carrying timber at Mukroh village and after that, a large number of people from the village reached the spot and surrounded the police and forest guards leading to the firing killing five Meghalaya villagers and an Assam forest guard.

Meanwhile, Assam has lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya.

Following the inter-state border violence, an advisory was issued by the Assam Police, asking people to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state.

There are about 12 disputed locations along 885 km long inter-state border of Assam-Meghalaya and the two states resolving the disputes in the first phase signed a Memorandum of Understanding about the 6 locations earlier this year