Shillong, Feb. 2 : Land acquisition problems and lack of support from local administration has delayed the timely completion of border fencing in Meghalaya, the inspector-general, BSF (Assam-Meghalaya frontier), Prithvi Raj, said today.
After the surrender ceremony of “sergeant” Ranjeeth Nath of Ulfa’s 28 battalion today, the BSF official said the porous borders in Meghalaya’s Khasi-Jaintia hills sector stood in the way of effective border management.
Local villagers and the Co-ordination Committee on International Border Fencing (CCIBF), comprising the Khasi Students Union, Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People and the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front have been opposing fencing in certain areas of the Khasi and Jaintia hills.
The organisations fear they will lose vast swathes of cultivable land once fencing is completed. The border residents and the pressure groups wanted border fencing to start from the Zero Line itself instead of the mandatory 150 yards from it.
The BSF also blamed the administration for its inability to start border fencing — a project of national importance.
Raj assured that even if the fencing started, the BSF would erect gates for free movement of farmers from Meghalaya. “We will also deploy Mahila BSF battalion to assist the women in the border areas when they go for farming after fencing.”
The BSF official said since the fence would minimise transborder crimes, the need to start fencing has been taken up with the Union home ministry.
Nearly 130km of the Khasi and Jaintia hills border had been left out while undertaking fencing work because of opposition from the local residents and the NGOs. The local administration was yet to act proactively to complete the fencing work, he added.
“We are keen to expedite the work and want the National Buildings Construction Company to start fencing at the earliest,” Raj said.
On areas in adverse possession, Raj said fencing could be undertaken in these areas after India and Bangladesh settled the border problem.
In Meghalaya, the adversely held areas are Lyngkhat, Kurinallah, Pyrdiwah in East Khasi Hills and Tamabil, Baljuri, Rongkhong, Amki, Amjlong and Muktapur in Jaintia Hills. Boro Hills in the Khasi Hills sector and Labhacherra and Nuncherra Tea Gardens in Jaintia Hills are also adversely held areas in Bangladesh.