Agartala: About 183 kilometres stretches of 856 kilometres border of India and Bangladesh boundary is still porous and the entire wire fencing would to be completed by March, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar informed in the state Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a query, Mr Sarkar said the state government had already sent a proposal to carry out fencing at zero line along Indo-Bangladesh border at nine places, including Akhaura Check post of Agartala to Ministry of home affairs but it was not sanctioned yet.
He, however, pointed out that as many as 7744 houses of Indian residents were fenced out and 4691 of them had been provided houses in near by locations under Indira Awas Yujana.
Accordingly if the other families demand housing the state government was committed to providing it to them in phased manner, the Minister stated.
In another reply, power minister Manik Dey stated that National Project Construction Corporation Ltd (NPCC) had released Rs 13 crore for installation of flood light along Indo-Bangladesh border to Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) and Rs 10.84 crore was kept unspent.
Detailing the flood light project Dey said NPCC had applied for installation of electricity in 192 Border outposts (BOP) across the state and subsequently TSECL submitted an estimate of Rs 124.54 crore but released only Rs 13 Cr by which flood lighting work was initiated in 41 BOPs.
Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Border Guards (BBG) have resolved the statement over zero line fencing along Indo-Bangladesh border in West Tripura and finalised the alignment for erection of wire fencing only a two moths ago.
Bangladesh and India had agreed to erect zero line fencing avoiding the existing norms of fencing at 150 yards inside India in 13 locations considering the establishment of important institutions, including airport, market and schools following persuasion of Tripura.
Of the total sanctioned flood-lighting area- 854 km, works have so far been completed along 180 km border, official report said, adding that Centre had sanctioned Rs. 400 core for flood lighting to ensure foolproof border vigil keeping in mind of illegal cross border movement. (UNI)