UCM asks Govt to stop border fencing
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 16 2021:
Raising strong objection to the ongoing border fencing work being taken up by BRTF along the Indo-Myanmar Border between border pillar 80 and 81, United Committee Manipur (UCM) has demanded the government authority to stop the fencing project at once while cautioning of launching a public movement in case of failing to do so.
Addressing a press meet at its Lamphelpat office on Thursday, UCM president Joychandra Konthoujam said that a team of UCM paid an inspection visit to the border area on August 266 following reports of large tract of state land being left out on the other side of the border fencing, which is being carried out by BRTF between border pillar number 80 and 81 .
The team found the reports to be true as large portion of the state land has been carved out in the ongoing fencing construction, he said.
UCM had submitted a memorandum to union minister of state for external affairs Dr RK Ranjan and chief minister N Biren in this regard.
Unless the state government intervenes and stops the border fencing at the earliest, UCM will be forced to mobilise public movement for the sake of safeguarding the state's boundary, he said.
He also informed that UCM will further inspect the border fencing works in other areas to find out if more land areas are being carved out from the state's boundary.
In the memorandum, UCM pointed out that the boundary issue of the state remains unresolved even after the government had assessed and identified the natural boundary of the state through geographical mapping and satellite imaging by officials of Manipur State Remote Sensing Applications Centre in the CM's office premises itself.
It also mentioned about the joint inspection visit of the Surveyor General of India with UCM team on April 7, 2017, UCM's public convention on July 16, 2018, and how the Surveyor General of India in July 2018 assured of resolving the issue within three months.
The memorandum demanded the government to stop the ongoing border fencing and produce a white paper in this regard.