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Thursday, May 12, 2005

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Fencing along Bangladesh border to be strengthened

Special Correspondent

Fall in illegal movement on Pakistan border, says Patil

NEW DELHI: Home Minister Shivraj Patil assured the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the fencing on the border with Bangladesh will be further strengthened. He admitted to differences with Dhaka on some portions of the fencing that were close to the International Border. However, the fencing on the western border with Pakistan had started showing results and there was a marked fall in illegal cross-border movement, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir where infiltration had declined by "61 per cent.''

The Government would create watch posts on the fence with Bangladesh to monitor the movement of people. "We were also thinking to electrify the fence but will have to be very careful about that,'' said Mr. Patil while replying to supplementaries during question hour. The Government would deploy floating border posts in the riverine stretches and construct concrete pillars that would host more border outposts.

The fencing is double-rowed and floodlights have been provided on the West Bengal section.

Explaining the differences with Bangladesh, Mr. Patil said the fence in most parts was 150 metres behind the International Border but Dhaka had objected to some small portions that were a little closer. "There is an agreement that offensive and defensive structures would not be created so close to the border. There is some dispute."

However, people living next to the International Border would have been fenced out had the fence been 150 metres away from the border at all places.

On the western borders, the fencing had paid dividends and infiltration was "curtailed significantly" in J & K, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Fencing work had proved problematic in Gujarat and efforts were being made to overcome the engineering challenges posed by the soft soil, he said.

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