GUWAHATI, Nov 8: The Meghalaya government urged the Centre to address land-related concerns delaying fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, with affected landowners seeking compensation for portions of their property that could become inaccessible after the project is completed.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong said residents and village authorities in border areas from Garo Hills to East Jaintia Hills did not oppose the fencing project. However, they were concerned about agricultural land that would fall beyond the proposed fence.
“The only issue the landowners have a reservation about is the land. Once the fencing is completed, the land beyond the fencing will become like no-man’s land. They cannot even go for cultivation,” Tynsong said.
He said the landowners feared such land would remain unused and become wasteland. They wanted the Government of India to acquire the affected portions and pay appropriate compensation.
“Therefore, it becomes wasteland. What the concerned landowners want is that in such cases, the Government of India should take over the land and pay compensation,” he said.
Tynsong said the state government had taken up the matter with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and was awaiting a response from the Centre. He estimated that the land-related concerns affected at least 45 km of the border fencing stretch.
