SHILLONG, Jan 8: Meghalaya Frontier BSF Inspector General Hardeep Singh has expressed optimism that the fencing of the international border between India and Bangladesh in Meghalaya would be completed within a year.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Singh said fencing work along 70 per cent of the 443-km international border in Meghalaya has already been completed.
Stating that the implementing agency is willing to continue construction of the fencing along the remaining portion, Singh, however, said there were a few patches where BSF needed clearance from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for work to continue.
Making it clear that it is not possible to construct the border fencing along the zero line, he said that the matter pertaining to land acquisition has been continuously discussed at different levels with the state government.
According to the IG, there are as many as 13 patches where fencing work is required beyond 150 yards of the international border.
On the growing incidence of cattle smuggling along the border, he said the BSF had confiscated more than 10,000 cattle on the border whilst informing that the seized cattle were handed over to police and not to customs.
It may be mentioned that cattle smuggling in Meghalaya is rampant with the state’s border largely used by smugglers for illegal cattle transportation.
Admitting that smugglers use unfenced areas and gaps along the border to smuggle cattle, the IG pointed out that connectivity was a major problem along the border areas. “But we have made alternative arrangements for our troops to communicate along the border,” Singh added.
The BSF inspector general further informed that the matter pertaining to holding the joint (BSF and BGB) retreat ceremony at Dawki and Dalu check post has taken a back seat as the integrated check posts (ICPs) would take some time to be made operational.
He, however, said that once the ICPs come up, the matter would be taken up with the BGB for holding the retreat ceremony on the lines of the ceremony performed on the Wagah Border.