Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang on March 27 said joint efforts of all North Eastern states were needed to tackle militancy in the region.

Replying to the motion of thanks on the Governor's address in the House, he said, "Militancy in one state is affecting its neighbours. So a joint effort is needed to tackle it."

Lapang said although some militants had surrendered earlier, afterwards there was hardly any response from them despite repeated appeals by the government to come for dialogue.

If the government could get a hint that they were "dissatisfied" of schemes, it was ready to reconsider those projects, the Chief Minister said before the motion was passed by the Assembly by voice vote.

On the vexed boundary dispute issue between Assam and Meghalaya, he said both the states agreed to maintain a "status quo" to solve their differences amicably. He said he would meet his Assam counterpart in April to solve the problem.

Without ruling out any encroachment on Meghalaya's soil, Lapang informed the House whenever such information came to him, he always took it up at the highest level.

The Chief Minister, who heads a six-party Meghalaya Democratic Alliance coalition government, assured a "transparent and accountable" administration responsive to constructive criticism. In its bid to fight corruption, government sent nine cases of corruption cases to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the response was awaited.

Earlier participating in the discussion, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member C R Sangma said insurgency in the state was on the rise due to lack of proper policy of the government.

PTI