SILCHAR: Fifty-nine families living outside the fence along the India-Bangladesh international border adjoining Karimganj district in southern Assam will begin “a new and normal life” with the state government officially initiating the procedure for their rehabilitation.
Sources said the Karimganj district administration issued letters to the families they must take with their documents to the Karimganj deputy commissioner’s office within July 30. As per the notice, the families were supposed to report to the DC’s office by June 30. However, it was extended by a month because of the flood. The families have been staying outside the border fence for decades, and they are Indians, however, they need permission from the border security force (BSF) personnel to enter Indian territory.
The families currently stay in Uttar Lafasail, around 5 km from the international border and 70 km from Silchar. A total of 93 families used to stay outside the fence in that area, but 34 families moved to other places in search of a better life, leaving 59 families.
Another source said Dr Ariz Ahmed, the commissioner of the Hills and Barak Valley division around eight years ago, had visited the Indo-Bangla border areas in Karimganj district and interacted with the people living outside the fence to learn about their problems. He had assured the residents of a solution to their issue, however, the matter did not progress further. Ahmed then got promoted as the principal secretary (transformation and development department), Government of Assam, and he again visited the border area around two months ago. Thereafter, he went to Guwahati, following which the Assam government communicated with the Karimganj district administration in connection with the rehabilitation of those people, the source said.
Karimganj district shares about a 93-km border with Bangladesh. Besides Uttar Lafasail, people of many areas, including Gobindapur, Latukandi, Jarapata, Lafasail, Lamajuwar, Mahisashan, Kourbag, Deotali and Jobainpur have been living outside the border fence for decades.
It may be mentioned that a senior Assam government official Gyanendra Dev Tripathi had last month held a meeting regarding the matter of rehabilitation with representatives of various sections. He said the matter will be solved within this financial year and the government has two plans. “After the meeting, we felt that there are two options. We can make additional fencing and bring the villages inside or we can ask the families to come inside the existing fencing. With the second option, we have to give them land to rehabilitate which is easier for us,” he said.
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