Land for border fencing
Shillong, Jan 16: Chief minister Conrad K Sangma has stressed the need for taking border residents into confidence while making efforts to acquire land for border fencing along Indo-Bangla border.
Land acquisition has been one of the biggest challenges in completion of construction of the border fencing.
Complete sealing of the Indo-Bangla border has remained a top priority of the Central as well as state government and the matter gained increased significance with unrest gripping the neighbouring country.
The government is trying to find ways and means to resolve the issue of land acquisition to pave way for completion of the border fencing, the chief minister said.
Around 50-60 km of the state’s 443-km-long international border with Bangladesh has still remained unfenced due to opposition from local residents, he said.
Citing the state’s unique land tenure system where government has little say, Sangma said, “We cannot simply just bulldoze (in acquiring land)…we need to take the people into confidence.”
“We would like to convince them that it (border fencing) is necessary,” he said.
The government has made continuous efforts by taking up the matter with the local residents as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs, but found no breakthrough yet, he added.
“We are pushing as much as possible and I hope we will find a way forward,” he said.
