Jowai, Jan 28: The Co-ordination Committee on International Border (CCIB) has criticized the state government for its hasty approach in fencing the international border without addressing the distress among border residents.
CCIB General Secretary Kmen Myrchiang said while residents are not opposed to border fencing, the significant loss of farmland is a pressing issue that needs attention.
He said the border populace feels neglected, especially as their lands are being snatched away without any prior consultation.
Stating that the border villages have been seeking support from the government for over 25 years he said their grievances have not been addressed.
Myrchiang said the issue was raised with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma during his tenure as a Member of Parliament. He urged Sangma to prioritise visiting the border villages to actively listen to the struggles faced by the farmers.
He said border residents in West Jaintia Hills district fear losing agricultural land if the fence is built 150 yards inside Indian territory.
Over 367 km of the 443 km Meghalaya-Bangladesh border has been fenced with roughly 40 km remaining in parts of West Jaintia Hills and South Garo Hills.
