Mahananda dispute resolved

Manas R Bannerjee in Narayanpur

Jan. 3. — The dispute on the issue of borderline along the Mahananda river between India and Bangladesh has been resolved after the interference of the Joint River Commission and through the recent joint survey of the lands on either side of the river, the DG, BSF, Mr RS Mooshahari claimed today, after visiting the border outposts where a fierce gun battle between BSF and BDR personnel took place in August last year. The DG said that during the joint survey of both the countries, the demarcation has been finalised along the disputed borderline, though the pillars are yet to be erected. “I have seen many flags being erected along the border demarcating fresh borderline”, the DG said. He also claimed that construction of barbed wire fencing has been completed in many places and that border road condition is also good enough for border patrolling and I think that the border is properly managed and infiltration is successfully checked here. Speaking to the reporters, he said: “It is true that Indian lands have come up on Bangladesh side owing to the change of the river course of the Mahananda but similarly some areas of Bangladesh have also come up on the Indian side. It does not matter and we have to adjust with the naturally created boundary in this area in order to settle the dispute”. Mr Mooshahari also said: “Fencing is imperative to check infiltration. If it is completed along the entire stretch the havoc figure of infiltration will be coming down to a “reasonable” number. We have targeted to complete the barbed wire fencing by 2006 in the entire region in our country”. He repeatedly said that constructing the fence was the only way to check militants who are crossing over the border from Bangladesh side. Out of 143 km long Indo-Bangla border, there is no fencing along the 60 km borderline in this district. “Series of blasts in Bangladesh have proved that there were militants’ camps in Bangladesh, which had tabled several times earlier at a meting with the Bangladesh border guard officials. Bangladesh government is now taking action against them”, he informed. “We always prevent militants and trained fundamentalists from entering into Indian territory from Bangladesh side”, he claimed. “We should intercept Bangladeshi militants along border and all border outposts have been put on alert”, the DG said. The DG was along with the Union home minister in his northeast and North Bengal visit and came to visit Malda on Tuesday directly from Jalpaiguri. He would also visit the Murshidabad areas tomorrow, officials said. The DG addressed the conference of the BSF officials at Malda sector headquarter tonight. This is for the first time that the DG has visited the borderline in Malda. #

[ Statesman News Service ]