Guwahati: Tensions resurfaced along the Assam–Meghalaya border on Thursday, August 28, after a group of Meghalaya supporters allegedly disrupted road repair work initiated by the Assam Government in Upper Lampi, located in the Boko–Chaygaon Co-District.
Workers had begun installing a culvert to protect the only road linking Boko to Upper Lampi when several Khasi residents, reportedly backed by Meghalaya supporters, intervened and forced the labourers to leave the site.
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The stretch, a 40-kilometre road constructed by the Assam Government roughly five years ago, remains a longstanding point of dispute. Residents from Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills district continue to claim ownership of the area.
One of the labourers, Gopal Sharma, accused Meghalaya Police of blocking the ongoing work and stated that unidentified individuals dismantled a bamboo hut built near the construction site.
The confrontation unfolded less than a kilometre from the Assam Police border outpost in Upper Lampi.
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In response, officials from Boko Police, a magistrate, and personnel from the Public Works Department (PWD) arrived at the location.
Sub-Inspector B. Diengdoh led a team from Meghalaya Police to the same spot, leading to heated verbal exchanges between the two sides.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the magistrate present was also subjected to verbal abuse during the standoff.
Magistrate Raben Deori later confirmed that authorities had brought the situation under control.
He added that discussions with senior officials would determine the next steps for resuming construction.
PWD engineer Manik Dutta noted that the current project, aimed at fortifying the 23-kilometre stretch from Kompadoli to Upper Lampi, includes the installation of guard walls, drains, and culverts under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Despite efforts to calm the situation, tension remains high in the region. The border town of Lampi continues to be a flashpoint in the broader Assam–Meghalaya boundary dispute.
In November 2021, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, along with senior officials, met in Lower Lampi to discuss the long-standing border issue.
Although both states have resolved disputes in six out of 12 contested locations, Lampi remains unresolved and highly sensitive.