Centre’s response awaited on request for land compensation for 45-km border fencing
Shillong, Nov 6: In order to resolve the land issue of border fencing, the state government has urged the Centre to pay compensation for the land that villagers are set to lose after the border fencing.
The concerned landowners, whose land would fall between the zero line and the border fencing, want the government of India to take over the land and pay compensation to them, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong said on Friday.
The state government is awaiting the Centre’s response to the request, Tynsong said when asked about border pillar construction after the recent meeting with the BSF.
Tynsong clarified that landowners are not opposed to fencing.
“Right from Garo Hills up to East Jaintia Hills, the land owners, the village authorities, they are not against it,” he said.
He said the only reservation is about land left outside the fence.
Once fencing is completed, the villagers’ land beyond fencing would become “no man’s land” where no farmer can go for cultivation, he said.
There is at least 45 km of such areas along the border where the landowners are seeking compensation for their land set to be inaccessible after the fencing, Tynsong said.
