Meghalaya: NBCC to suspend fencing along Indo-Bangla

Shillong, Apr 6: The Meghalaya government has decided to ask the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) to suspend all kinds of border fencing work along the Indo-Bangla border in the state.

This decision was taken after five mass organisations under the banner of Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) has called for a two-day office picketing and 48-hour road blockade in state's Khasi-Jaintia Hills districts protesting against the ongoing Indo-Bangla border fencing.

The office picketing would start from April 10 and will be followed by a 48-hour road blockade from 0500 hrs on April 12 to April 14, CCIB spokesman G H Kharshanlor said.

''We have decided to ask the NBCC to suspend all kinds of border fencing work in all the disputed areas along the state's international border with Bangladesh until problems like loss of agricultural lands, alienation of people and land compensation are solved,'' Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee told reporters here yesterday.

The CCIB, a conglomeration of five organisations, decided to agitate against the Centre's decision to fence the porous Indo- Bangla border, 150 yards from the zero line.

They had even served a served a 72-hour 'quit notice' to NBCC workers engaged in the fencing alleging the NBCC had violated the government's notification, which directed them to suspend work in all disputed areas between Nongjri in East Khasi Hills and Jaliakhola in Jaintia Hills.

''We are not against fencing of the Indo-Bangla border but we want the government to erect the fence from the zero line to ensure that our land outside the fence were not encroached by Bangladeshi nationals,'' Mr Kharshanlor said.

At least 40 villages have demanded fresh demarcation of the border, as they were not happy with the proposed arrangement of working on their agricultural land beyond the fence.

The border should be fenced from about 150 yards from the zero line to contain the illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis and cross- border terrorism.

New Delhi has to fence the border about 150 yards from the zero line in order to contain the illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis and cross-border terrorism.

Meanwhile, East Khasi Hills District Magistrate yesterday promulgated Section 144 CrPC prohibiting picketing, assembly of five or more persons, carrying of arms etc, in the district in view of the CCIB agitation.

UNI