Cropping problems

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 23: Border Security Force officials have urged the Malda district administration to allow farmers to trim sugarcane and jute along the porous Indo-Bangladesh border, to maintain border vigil. At a meeting with Malda district administration officials yesterday, BSF personnel said the crops, cultivated close to the barbed wire fencing, are making it difficult for border guards to monitor border activities. It also results in a security threat in specific areas, they said. BSF officials said jute and sugarcane cover the fencing and border guards find it difficult to watch the fence from border roads and towers. In yesterday’s meeting, MLAs representing border areas were also present. The meeting was called to resolve the dispute between the police and the border guards over seizure of cattle. The matter pertaining to area distribution for cattle seizure was discussed between the two sides, officials said. A senior district administration official said that to resolve the present stalemate between the BSF and the cattle owners, a block-level monitoring committee, comprising BDOs, ICs, MLAs, and COs of BSF, would be formed soon. The Malda SP, Mr DK Mondal, said BSF officials were requested to inform the police station concerned before conducting any raid on border areas. “This decision has been taken to maintain law and order in border villages”, Mr DK Mondal, Malda SP, said. To sort out the problem of having to show identity cards before crossing a fencing gate for cultivation on Indian land, the respective block development officers will issue identity cards to those who are below 18 and do not possess voter identity cards, officials said. CPI-M leaders are adamant mton preventing BSF officials from seizing cattle used for domestic or cultivation purpose along the India-Bangladesh border in Malda. Yesterday’s meeting was the second between the two sides, after the recent clash between villagers and the BSF at Kaliachak bus stand a few days ago, over cattle smuggling. Officials said that within eight kilometres of the border line, BSF personnel can seize cattle, but before conducting any raid, they should inform the police station concerned, in advance. #

Pic collected from site via Google .