Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced on Thursday that a joint committee will be established to investigate allegations made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM).
Sarma has been vocal about various concerns regarding USTM and its chancellor, Mahbabul Haque.
Among the accusations is that the university's development activities have contributed to severe waterlogging in Guwahati. Sarma has referred to this as a ‘flood jihad’, alleging that the university’s construction work, including hill demolition on its campus, exacerbates flooding in the region.
In addition to the waterlogging allegations, Sarma has claimed that the university’s gate designs have Islamic motifs and has announced plans to file a case against Haque for allegedly securing an OBC certificate fraudulently from Karimganj district 32 years ago.
In response, Sangma stated that both governments have agreed to form a joint committee to address these issues. The committee, which will include officials from both Assam and Meghalaya, will examine the concerns raised by Sarma.
The chief secretaries of the two states are coordinating to set up the panel, which is expected to begin its work within a week.
The university has countered Sarma’s claims by asserting that its campus constitutes only a small fraction of the water flow impacting downstream areas like Jorabat. The joint committee aims to address these and any other related issues comprehensively.
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