CCIB skips border inspection

SHILLONG: The Coordination Committee of International Border (CCIB) did not take part in the joint inspection of the Indo-Bangladesh border which got underway on Tuesday.
The CCIB along with Directorate of Land Survey and NBCC was supposed to have a joint survey starting from boundary pillar number 1273 at Dawki to boundary pillar number 1299 at Jaliakhola from April 21 till 27.
“We have decided to discontinue our participation of the joint inspection after officials of the Directorate of Land Survey insisted that the boundary  fencing should erected 150 yards inside the zero line,” the CCIB member Joe Marwein said on Tuesday.
He said that his organization had been maintaining from the beginning that the boundary fencing should be from the Zero Line since the villagers residing along the border would lose a large chunk of their agricultural land if the fencing is erected 150 yards inside the Zero Line.
“There should be proper demarcation of the boundary with Bangladesh on the Meghalaya sector of the international border before undertaking fencing along the Zero Line,” Marwein added.
It may be mentioned that the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya stretches up to 443 kms out of which 350 kilometers have been fenced while around 80 kilometers remain unfenced in Khasi and Jaintia Hills due to land acquisition hurdles. Another stretch of 18-19 kms which passes through forest land has also remained unfenced pending necessary clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju had said that the Centre would complete the fencing work along the Indo-Bangla international border within a year provided the State Government acquires and hands over the land for this much-delayed project. He added that all issues can be sorted out if the State Government makes some extra efforts.