Centre to conduct fresh survey of Indo-Bangla border

SHILLONG: The Union Home Ministry will conduct a fresh survey of the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya before resuming the border fencing work that has been stalled since the last one year following protests from organizations.

Official sources said the decision to revive the fencing after a fresh survey was taken during a high-level meeting with state government officials and the home ministry in New Delhi a few days ago.

The state government's push to resume the fencing work comes in the wake of concerns over the unabated influx of illegal migrants and increasing cross-border movement of criminals and extremists.

The fencing work has been stalled after various NGOs and villagers living in the border areas put up an opposition saying they would lose vast tracts of their land if the fencing is erected 150 yards from the zero line.

About 50 per cent of the 443 km Meghalaya-Bangladesh border remains to be fenced. The implementing agency National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) is also learnt to have urged revision of the earlier estimates with then escalation of prices of various construction materials.

The sources also said the Centre has also decided to release the financial compensation to all the farmers whose agricultural lands will be affected by the fencing.