Meghalaya to take up fencing with Centre

Shillong, Apr 8 (UNI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy has decided to take up fencing of the porous Indo-Bangla border in certain areas from zero point with the union government.

Dr Roy, who held a closed-door meeting with members of the Coordination Committee on Indo-Bangladesh Border Fencing (CCIBBF) yesterday, assured them of taking up their recommendations with the government.

''The chief minister has assured his commitment to implement CCIBBF recommendations, besides, presenting the matter to New Delhi on our recommendations relating to border fencing with Bangladesh,'' CCIBBF spokesman GH Kharshanlor told UNI here today.

Dr Roy, who was the chairman of the CCIBBF in the previous Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government, had submitted its recommendations to former Chief Minister DD Lapang on December 10, 2007 for conveying them to the Centre before resumption of border fencing work.

Mr Kharshanlor said, the CCIBBF had recommended to the government that fencing work from Nongjri (East Khasi Hills) to Jaliakhola (Jaintia Hills) (pillar nos. 1,251 to 1,299) with Bangladesh should be kept under suspension and fresh survey conducted, while fencing from Hingeria to Minispara (pillar nos. 1,300 to 1,334) should be done from zero line with Bangladesh.

The committee had also recommended that fencing work from Ratacherra to Mikirpara could continue as the land falls under the reserve forest.

Earlier, the villagers residing near the Indo-Bangla border had protested against the fencing of the border 150 yards from Zero point allaying fears that the remaining land might go to Bangladesh.

UNI RRK PL KLC1311