Six villages and more 1,200 bigha is likely to get sandwiched between the fencing and the zero line will effect over 1,000 people once the fence comes up, they fear. The border residents have submitted a memorandum to the Jalpaiguri district magistrate expressing their concern and with a demand to reconsider the fencing plan.
An all party meeting was held at Nagar Berubari recently on the issue. It was decided that the fencing proposal would be reconsidered if the majority of the residents are against it,” said Jalpaiguri Congress MLA Mr Deba Prasad Roy.
“No decision was taken in the all party meeting at our gram panchayat. We do not support the plan. The land in question can be saved if the fence comes up on zero line. Unless that happens, the residents would be in trouble,” said Muhammad Majam Madin, a CPI-M local committee secretary.
Mr Binesh Roy, pradhan of Nagar Berubari gram panchayat said: “We all want the fencing to come up on the zero line or the villagers would not accept it. No decision was taken at the all party meeting held at the local gram panchayat office.”