SHILLONG: Despite directions from the Central government to complete the fencing along the stretches of the Indo-Bangladesh border, the state government is yet to fence a significant portion of the stretch.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday, BSF PRO Mahendra Singh said that the fencing of around 140 to 150 km of the international border was stalled owing to the perennial controversy surrounding the land acquisition.
Fencing along the stretch has been suspended due to protests by the Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) primarily over land acquisition.
The CCIB is a conglomerate of organisations like Khasi Students’ Union(KSU); Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo people; and headmen and representatives of villages around the border.
“Implementing agencies are ready to begin fencing work,” he said adding that the matter must be resolved at the earliest “before the banned HNLC resurfaces”.
He also informed that Border Flood Lights (BFLs) had been installed along the stretches of the border however, the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) was yet to supply power to the same.
“Right now we use BFL for 1-2 hours by using generators,” he said while adding that the matter was taken up on several occasions with the Meghalaya Government.
Meghalaya shares over 443-km long border with Bangladesh and fencing along the border mostly remains incomplete in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.