The registered voters living in villages along the disputed border with Assam can participate in the upcoming Assembly elections in Meghalaya, said Election Commission.

Briefing the media in Shillong after holding a review meeting of the poll preparedness in the election-bound state on Friday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said, “People living in villages along the disputed border can participate in the elections despite what has happened. Both sides have held joint meetings and discussions are taking place at the senior level as well. We are alive to the situation and there is nothing to worry.”

The CEC went on to add that there was no problem. “We have reviewed the situation at our end and district officials from both sides have had detailed meetings,” he said.

Kumar said the commission had instructed 16 central agencies to work in a coordinated manner in expenditure-sensitive constituencies. At least six persons — five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and an Assam forest guard — were killed in a clash along the disputed border in November last year.