IMPHAL, October 3: Reacting strongly against the Government`s inactivity on the present border fencing impasse, the Committee on Protection of Land in Border Fencing (CPLBF) formed on August 3 has called a state wide 12 hour bandh on October 7 from 5 am to 5 pm, informed the committee’s spokesperson.
Announcing the bandh during a press conference, the Co-ordinator of the committee, Ngachonmei Ranshang acting as the spokesperson said the committee has not only submitted memorandums and ultimatums to the state Chief Minister and the Governor, but had personally met with the Principal Secretary, (Home), Dr J Suresh Babu, however, the government has turned a blind eye to the demands of the people.
The committee had set a September 26 deadline to look into the issue but there has been no positive response from the government, he said.
The assurance of the Deputy Chief Minister to inspect the fencing work by a committee of Ministers is yet to be conducted, which is not only disappointing but also unfortunate, he said.
Amidst such a juncture, the state Education and Consumers Affairs, Food and Public Distribution minister Moirangthem Okendro Singh had arrived at the border town of Moreh and left after launching mobile sale of rice, which shows the insincerity of both the central and state governments towards the demands of the people, he said.
The minister totally ignored the border fencing issue which is the burning issue at present in the state, he lamented.
The government seems to have gone back from its earlier assurance to conduct re-survey of the boundary before allowing the fencing work to continue, he said.
Elaborating further, he said the border fencing will affect 43 villages including 2969 households with a total population of approximately 18,000 of the state, he said.
In Churachandpur district, the ongoing fencing has encroached from border pillar no 32 to 48; in Chandel district from border pillar no 49 to 89; in Ukhrul from border pillar no 90 to 130, he said.
Abjiast Saiyao said the border pillars should be erected according to the Rangoon Agreement signed in 1967 between India and Myanmar.