Divided by geographical boundaries but united by pin code. The bordering villages between North Garo hills and Assam are facing a unique problem, even after 50 years of statehood they are forced to use Assam pin codes for all official purposes.
With the advent of the Digital age, the need for using pin codes while applying for different competitive examinations and jobs has become essential. However, the youths of these bordering villages often find their applications either get rejected or their documents go missing.
Raising this issue, Kharkutta legislator, Rupert Momin, said the border area people are mainly using pin-783134. The pin code 783134 belongs to Goalpara district located in Assam .
“I spoke in the Assembly since the youths are complaining and it happens that the young people these days use internet applications and apply to various competitive and Defence examinations and other central services. Their advertisement is online and they are applying online,” Momin said.
While demanding a separate pin code for the villages of North Garo Hills, the legislator said, “ So that way we need a permanent pin code and using Assam pin code the letters does not reach the appropriate destination but are going to Goalpara and some parts of Daranggiri so in the process these letter goes missing or sometimes after the date gets over.”
Infact, there are a total of 6 Post Offices in this Pin Code, they are Darragiri Post Office, Kachadal Post Office, Melopara Post Office, Sesapani Post Office, Kharkutta Post Office and Rajasimla Post Office.
Barring Kharkutta, rest are all in Assam.
While mentioning border villages of Assam Meghalaya still depend on the former for pin code, though, in other parts of North Garo Hills, the pin codes used are also confusing as while applying for competitive examination these get rejected.
“… postal pin codes always we use the Assam pin code. There is no separate one, although there are more than one pin code we don’t know which is the correct one,” the NPP MLA said.
Momin informed that residents in the border areas of Resubelpara, Kharkutta and Mendipathar in North Garo Hills have faced numerous problems because of a lack of Meghalaya pin codes.
Another pin code used in some areas of North Garo Hills is 794111, but again this belongs to East Garo Hills and due to this, the documents do not reach their destination on time.
“In banking service also they are using different and for the letter they are sending they are using different pin codes. So when we go to the particular online application, we need the correct one. So not getting it our people are confused,” he said, adding that the postal department also is not much serious about it.
Recalling an instance, the two times MLA said, even his cheque book went back to Mumbai due to this problem.
“Many items happened to me, I applied for the cheque book in the bank of my area, but it went back to Mumbai, and then after sometime again it came back. Even our young friends who applied for the army, their letters and documents go missing for a while and after some time it comes back but by that time the due dates get over,” Momin said.
When asked, the Kharkutta MLA said, “We discussed the issue last term but I did not get any reply; that is why I raised the issue in the Assembly recently.”
He said that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had assured that the department concerned will take up the matter.