Shillong: The Meghalaya government has appealed to the Centre to acquire land falling within the 150-yard restricted zone along the Indo-Bangladesh border to facilitate seamless border fencing and bolster security in vulnerable areas.
Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home (Police), Prestone Tynsong, said the proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), pointing out that the existing 150-yard restriction from the international border often hampers fencing work in several locations.
He said the restriction leaves villages, farmland and other private properties outside the proposed fence in many stretches of the border, exposing residents to security risks while creating practical difficulties in safeguarding the frontier.
According to Tynsong, the state government believes that if the Centre acquires land within the restricted belt, residents can be appropriately relocated, allowing border fencing to be completed without leaving inhabited areas beyond the fence. Such a measure, he said, would also strengthen surveillance and improve the overall management of the international border.
The Deputy Chief Minister further reiterated Meghalaya’s long-standing demand for permission to erect fencing closer to the zero line wherever conditions permit. He said the issue has been consistently raised with the Centre in view of the state’s unique geographical challenges.
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The renewed appeal comes amid persistent concerns over cross-border infiltration, smuggling and other illegal activities along the unfenced stretches of Meghalaya’s 443-km border with Bangladesh.
The state government has maintained that completing the border fencing is critical to enhancing national security while ensuring the safety and welfare of communities residing along the international border.
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