Meet for a normal life near border area

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug. 26: The district magistrate Mr CR Das convened a coordination meeting with the border security force to reduce the plight of some villagers who live on either side of the fencing on the Indian land along India Bangladesh border. The BSF today kept their proposal before the district magistrate to shift the villagers who are living out side the Indian fencing but on the side of Bangladesh for security reasons. In Malda , there are a few villages where people live on the other side of the fencing but in Indian land. They are kept within fences and cannot move freely for security reasons. The border security forces always keep a watch over them. Political leaders had submitted a memorandum regarding the problem of such people who can't even enter their country for essential works including medical treatment in hospital without the permission of the BSF jawans. Villagers faced acute problem a few days ago when tension prevailed along the India Bangladesh border after death of a BSF jawan in BDR firing in Kaliachak area. According to political leaders, “many students were stopped from going to schools for many days till the situation was brought under control. Some villagers had to go to Bangladesh to buy food for exchange of high prices during that period”. During the meeting political leaders today demanded that government would have to shift the villagers inside the country implementing the rehabilitation package formulated by the central government which has already been implemented in North Dinajpur and other district. The district magistrate Mr CR Das has called another meeting on 2 September along the border in Kaliachak III block area. It was also decided that the officials would take stock of the situation for implementing rehabilitation package after interacting with the locals.