BALURGHAT: The Land and Land Reforms department has stepped up efforts to acquire land for installing barbed-wire fencing in unfenced stretches along the India-Bangladesh border in Hili, South Dinajpur. However, allegations have surfaced that the long-pending relocation of residents from several villages already enclosed by fencing on the Bangladesh-facing side of the border remains stalled.
As a result, Indian citizens living beyond the barbed-wire fence continue to spend their lives in a state of isolation, despite being on Indian territory. Locals have alleged that under the surveillance of the Border Security Force (BSF), their agricultural activities and daily movements are strictly regulated, further compounding their hardships.
The Calcutta High Court has directed that land be handed over to the BSF by March to facilitate the installation of fencing in unfenced border areas of the state. Following this directive, the land revenue authorities have already initiated work along the Hili border. According to official sources, in compliance with international norms, the barbed-wire fence is being erected within 150 yards from the zero line of the international boundary. It has been learned that the BSF had earlier identified around 142 villages across the state that remain exposed on the Bangladesh-facing side of the border and forwarded the list to the respective district land and land reforms departments. Although efforts were reportedly made to identify suitable land on the Indian side of the fence for relocation, progress allegedly stalled thereafter.
In South Dinajpur district alone, residents of nearly 14 villages in the Hili border area live beyond the fence. Similar situations exist in three villages along the Balurghat border, two in Gangarampur and one in Kumarganj. For access to education, healthcare and other administrative services, these residents are compelled to cross the fenced gates to enter the mainland. A district administration official said that earlier, there had been a proposal to construct houses for fence-side residents under the state government’s Nijgriha Nijbhumi scheme, which has since been subsumed under the Abas Yojana.
Hili block Land and Land Reforms officer Dipesh Mallick said: “In unfenced areas along the Hili border, including Dumran, Gosaipur, Agra, Basudebpur, Aptor, Ujal, Dharanda, Gobindapur and Ishwarpur, pillars were erected and demarcation was completed in 2018. Now, no-objection documents are being collected from residents for land acquisition between one pillar and another so that fencing can be installed.”