Govt asks DC to hold meeting with landowners over border fencing issue

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 21, 2020

SHILLONG: The state government has asked the deputy commissioner of West Jaintia Hills to take necessary for speeding up the construction of the fencing along the international border with Bangladesh.

“We have instructed the deputy commissioner to immediately hold a meeting with all stakeholders especially the landowners and convince them to allow the fencing work to start at earliest,” deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters here on Tuesday.

The direction also came in the wake of the recent attacks by Bangladeshi criminals on civilians as well as BSF personnel at Dawki area in West Jaintia Hills.

Tynsong said that the incident is of great concern and it is affecting the security of the people residing along the Indo-Bangla border.

“We therefore have issued fresh instruction to the deputy commissioner since the money is available for payment of compensation to all landowners to pave way for construction of the fencing. If such incidents keep on happening then it will be to the disadvantage of our people.”

The deputy chief minister also asserted that fencing will be a permanent solution not only to the present but also the future generation.

He said the fencing could not be started especially in areas falling under the district was because of the land issue as some people do not agree to part their land although compensation is being provided.

“However, instruction have been given to the NBCC and in consultation with the state government that as much as possible please go towards the zero line so that the land of the people are not affected,” Tynsong said while taking the grievances expressed by landowners into account.

Coming down heavily on several organizations for opposing the fencing, the deputy chief minister said, “They challenge the land swapping signed between India and Bangladesh. I told them this is not the subject of the state. They want to claim till Sylhet so is it justified?”

He said that these organizations are still opposing the fencing adding “but I am telling you, it will be the landowners who will suffer at the end of the day”.