SHILLONG – Meghalaya and Assam have agreed to improve coordination between transport associations and police to ensure smoother movement of vehicles between the two states, Meghalaya Transport Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said on Tuesday.
The agreement followed a joint meeting involving seven transport associations from Assam and five from Meghalaya.
“The first round of meeting was very good and it was very positive,” Dhar said, adding that both sides had reached an understanding to work together.
The Meghalaya side also raised the issue of parking facilities for vehicles from the state at Guwahati airport, along with better toilet facilities for drivers and passengers using the designated parking area. Assam authorities agreed to consider the requests.
Dhar also called for closer coordination between the police forces of both states to ensure vehicles can move without obstruction or harassment.
“We are requesting both the police from Assam and Meghalaya to work together and accordingly ensure that from now onward both associations should not face problems anymore when they ply to Assam or when they ply to Meghalaya,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Assam Cabinet Minister Atul Bora, who said he was satisfied with the outcome of the discussions.
“I’m fully satisfied today. We had a very, very good meeting and high-level meeting,” Bora said, adding that the participating transport associations were largely satisfied with the discussions.
Bora said both governments had acted quickly after the incident, with the two ministers remaining in contact to address the situation.He also said Assam had taken action against alleged touts and middlemen, claiming that more than 400 brokers were arrested in one day.
Bora said the situation between the two states had now become calm and peaceful, with authorities working towards normalising transport movement.
“There has been a decades-long bond and brotherhood between the people of both Meghalaya and Assam, and we want to continue it forever,” he said.
The two sides will continue discussions through a high-level committee involving both governments and a transport sub-committee headed by the Commissioners of Transport from Meghalaya and Assam.
Dhar also appealed against violence, saying transport operators should be allowed to move freely between the states without disturbing one another.
