Survey to settle border dispute

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Dec. 13: A joint team of India and Bangladesh today inspected Malda borderline along the banks of river Mahananda to sort out border land dispute owing to erosion between the two countries. The five member Bangladeshi team would visit Murshidabad border areas jointly, particularly Nimtita tomorrow. The team led by Mr Rafiqul Islam, deputy director Bangladesh land reforms held a meeting with the state officials Mr Jayanta Rath and Mr Dipankar Roy Choudhury, deputy director, Indo-Bangladesh boundary demarcation in West Bengal and others in Malda today. Speaking to the reporters Mr Islam said: “ We have been facing problem to keep land demarcation along the border due to erosion of the river Padma and Mahananda in this region. The river erosion sometime changes the borderline damaging border pillar in some places. It has create problem between Bangladesh Rifle (BDR) and BSF over the rights of land between the two countries”. “We have come here to settle border demarcation work in the remaining parts along the India-Bangladesh border, where the land survey has been completed,” he said. It may be noted that two years back BDR and BSF had exchanged fire for two days over the rights of land when BDR objected to continue temporary anti erosion carried out the Malda district administration in Muchia and Adampur border outposts in Old Malda block areas. After the incident top officials of the two countries had conducted joint survey to settle and land dispute. A large part of the areas were demarcated to erect pillars along the border. According to district officials and Malda sector BSF it was found after survey that a large part of Indian land has gone in Bangaldesh side on the right side of the river Mahananda. Similarly another part of Bangladesh land has come into the Indian side after the river has changed its course there. Mr Islam said that presently there was no dispute along Mahananda bank in Malda. “We would start construction of pillars in the remaining parts in January 2008. In Tripura there are more than six km stretch of border line with Bangladesh where the survey is yet to begin,” he added. “From 24 Parganas to Cooch Behar there is some dispute but it is being sorted out gradually,” said Mr Dipankar Roy Choudhury, Dy director Indo-Bangladesh border demarcation in West Bengal. Mr Choudhury told reporters that only the border pillars would be considered as borderline but river and its mid stream, which has separated two countries, would not come under the consideration as borderline.