Protocol to help seal border: Dispur

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, May 5: Reiterating its support to the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, the Assam government today said the deal will benefit the State and help seal the Indo-Bangladesh border.

At a press conference, Additiol Chief Secretary (Revenue) Subhash Chandra Das said a joint border working group was set up in 2011 which conducted a ground survey, and based on its report the protocol with the neighbouring country was signed. According to the protocol, Assam will concede 268.4 acres of land in Boraibari (Dhubri) and Pallathal (Karimganj), and in return will get 714 acres of land in Lathitilla-Dumabari area (Karimganj).

“Moreover as a result of the demarcation, 3 km stretch of an area at Lathitilla-Dumabari will be demarcated to facilitate erection of border fencing that has been stalled in that place,” Das said.

If the protocol is ratified, the Radcliff line demarcating India and Bangladesh will be redrawn, he added.

The Additiol Chief Secretary further stated that the inhabitants in the portion of land that Assam will concede to Bangladesh have been identifying themselves as Bangladeshis.

“They have no connection whatsoever with Assam. They cast their votes in Bangladesh. They want to be part of Bangladesh formally,” the official said.

He said as the Indira-Mujib pact was not ratified by Parliament, formal exchange of maps between the two countries could not take place, and therefore some disputes remained. “This new deal with the neighbourig country can be treated as a part of the Indira-Mujib pact aimed at resolving the boundary dispute,” Das said.