Tripura: Families affected by border fencing being rehabilitated

PWD Minister Badal Choudhury said, of the 8,730 affected families, 8,576 families have already been rehabilitated and remaining are being given permanent settlement.

Agartala, March 16: Families affected due to the construction of a fence along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura are being rehabilitated, a minister said here on Thursday.

"Due to the fencing, 8,730 families were affected as their houses, homestead, farm land and various others properties have been either encroached or have been relocated," Revenue and PWD Minister Badal Choudhury said.

"Of the 8,730 affected families, 8,576 families have already been rehabilitated and remaining are being given permanent settlement," he added.

The Indian government, has so far completed fencing of 773 km out of the state's 856 km international border.

The minister said that houses, homestead, farm land and various others properties of a large number of families have fallen on the outer side of the fence, resulting in numerous problems including uncertainty and insecurity.

The Indian side of the International Border passes through West Bengal (2,216 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318 km).

India started construction of the fence and flood lighting along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border around 20 years ago, to curb cross-border movement of terrorists, stop infiltration and check various border crimes, smuggling and illegal trades.

The mountainous terrain, dense forests, riverine and other hindrances make the borders porous and vulnerable, enabling militants, illegal immigrants and intruders cross over without any major hurdles.

IANS