SHILLONG: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), along with the members of the Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB), will carry out an inspection on December 17 of the Indo-Bangladesh border area from Nongjri to Umsyiem in East Khasi Hills where fencing has been proposed.
CCIB general secretary Kmen Myrshiang, after meeting KHADC chief executive member HS Shylla here on Monday, said the latter wanted to go for “spot inspection to understand the actual position on the proposed fencing of the international border”.
“As of now, the council is yet to give the no objection certificate for carrying out the work for fencing between India and Bangladesh,” Myrshiang said.
Myrshiang informed that National Building Construction Company (NBCC) has given the sub-contract to Dhar Company for fencing and the company has already bought all equipment.
“But it had not been able to move ahead with the work because they have not got NOC from the council,” the CCIB general secretary said.
Myrshiang alleged that the state government wants to bypass the district council and that it will violate the Land Acquisition and Settlement Act, 2013, if it decides to go ahead with the work without obtaining NOC.
The CCIB “is happy with the move of the council to take up the issue being raised by them for the past 18 years”.
When asked about the ‘Land Swap Deal’, Myrshiang said the CCIB has not endorsed the proposal between the Centre and Bangladesh government.
When asked that there are many villagers who have already accepted the land compensation to allow fencing, he said, “There are only a few people who have accepted the land compensation and majority of the farmers are still opposing the move of the state to fence the border.”
He blamed the state government for failing to take villagers into confidence and not consulting them before going ahead with fencing.
“People are against the fencing since they will lose a large chunk of their agricultural land if the fencing is not erected from the zero line,” he added.
Supporting the demand to erect the Indo-Bangla border fencing from zero line, the KHADC CEM had earlier decided to seek the Centre’s intervention to protect the rights of indigenous people under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples “as Meghalaya is facing the danger of environmental refugees from Bangladesh”.
The KHADC chief had said the government should show its respect by obtaining NOC from the council before taking up the project.
