Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Mizo Villages Need to be Relocated for Border Fencing

Forty five villages in Mizoram were required to be relocated due to the fencing work on the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Of the villages, 29 in Lawngtlai district, seven in Lunglei district and two in Mamit district needed to be relocated, Home Minister R Lalzirliana told the assembly today.

Stating that as the border fencing work was being done by the Centre, the state government had appealed to it to relocate the villages.

"We are waiting for the Centre’s response on the issue," he said, adding that Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was also approached on the issue when he visited the state.

He was replying to a query from opposition Mara Democratic Front (MDF) member P P Thawlla.

Congress member Nirupam Chakma said that according to the contractors one village belonging to Mizoram fell in Bangladesh.

Chakma alleged that the Centre did not have any intention to relocate the villages and water-logging caused by the fencing had destroyed cultivation fields in the area.

Intervening in the discussion, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said that the state government had approached the Centre many times and the reply was always the same: "We have not done any relocation in other states."