Fencing row
SHILLONG: Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Chief Executive Member P.N. Syiem will meet landowners living along the Indo-Bangla border in East Khasi Hills on March 10 to discuss issues relating to border fencing in the district.
Addressing media persons after a meeting with the KHADC chief, Kmen Myrshiang of the Coordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) said the panel had asked the Council not to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) for border fencing in the district.
“The CEM has informed us that he will meet the landowners on March 10 to discuss the matter at length before taking any decision and that the Council is not in a hurry to issue NOC,” he added.
The CCIB general secretary also sought clarification from the Council on what steps it was taking to protect the land in Mawshun and Pyrdiwah that the Government was trying to acquire for fencing.
The committee has been fighting for the rights of the people living in border villages.
Myrshiang said that the panel had also reiterated its demand for implementing the Nehru-Noon Agreement of 1958 for demarcating the Indo-Bangla border. Among other things, the pact provided for “exchange of enclaves on the basis of enclaves for enclaves without any consideration of territorial loss or gain”.
Last month, Chief Secretary K.S Kropha said the Centre had agreed that fencing should be as close to the zero line as possible to ensure that people living along the border did not lose their land after demarcation.
Several pressure groups are protesting against fencing inside the 150 yards of Indian territory as they are apprehensive that the State would lose lakhs of square kilometers of land to Bangladesh. The border fencing in Garo Hills is nearing completion and is being monitored by the Centre and the Supreme Court. Land acquisition for the remaining 80km in East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills is underway.
