Meghalaya govt takes up UPDS intrusion with Centre

Shillong, Jun 28 (UNI) Meghalaya Chief Secretary S K Tewari today said he would apprise the Union Home Ministry tomorrow of the attack of a state police outpost by the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) militants.

Mr Tewari said the Meghalaya government will inform the Home Ministry on UPDS' terror activities in Meghalaya's border with Karbi Anglong district in Asom.

'' We want the Home Ministry to intervene and to direct the UPDS militant outfit to stop its illegal activities in other states, '' Mr Tewari said.

The UPDS is currently in a ceasefire agreement with the Centre.

State Home Minister Robert Garnett Lyngdoh told UNI here that he had already had a telephonic discussion with the Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi urging him to deploy more security force in UPDS-dominated areas.

Mr Gogoi, who hold the Home portfolio, had also assured his counterpart of necessary security arrangements to prevent border skirmish.

Mr Lyngdoh said Chief Secretary S K Tewari and Director General of Police W R Marbaniang had also urged the centre for deployment of more security personnel along the inter-state border to ensure peace and harmony.

In a pre-dawn, armed UPDS militants yesterday attacked Khanduli police outpost, a few km inside Meghalaya-Asom border in Jaintia Hills district.

One Mon Bahadur Thapa, who was sleeping inside his house, suffered a minor injury in his leg.

Soon after the gunfight, which lasted for 45 minutes, police seized one magazine of AK-47 rifle along with 41 live ammunition and 181 empty cartridges from the site of occurence.

Meanwhile, Jaintia Hills district Superintendent of Police H Nongpluh told this correspondent over the telephone from Jowai that the state police was on a red alert along the inter-state Meghalaya-Asom border following yesterday's pre-dawn attack.

UNI RRK SJC VD RS2009