Eviction cannot happen without proper payoff: CM to Home Minister

MP | 18 Dec 2022 | Kolkata: Union Home minister Amit Shah chaired the 25th Eastern Zonal Council meeting at Nabanna Sabhaghar on Saturday with a focus on a range of inter-state issues, including land clearance for railway projects, operationalisation of coal mines, border fencing and also cattle smuggling along the international borders. 

The Union Home minister indicated to chief ministers that the states too share responsibility along with the BSF for security in India's border areas.
According to Nabanna sources, one of the most important issues Shah highlighted in the Council meeting was the fencing of the border between Bengal and Bangladesh. 

Out of the 2,216 km of the international border, 1,638 km has already been covered with wired fencing. The Centre has emphasised erecting barbed fencing along another 150 km at the earliest. 

The rest of the frontier cannot be fenced as the border runs through rivers or has technical problems like the existence of villages within 150 metres from the boundary, the Centre told the states. 

The Bengal government, during the meeting, drew the attention of the Union Home minister saying that the law and order situation is being compromised due to the unlawful intervention of the Border Security Force (BSF). 

Shah said both the police and the BSF should maintain coordination to carry out a vigil in the border areas. Cross-border smuggling and timely completion of the freight corridor were the agendas discussed in the meeting. 

During the meeting, Rail Board member Brijesh Kumar said several rail projects are going on in Bihar, Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand and there are encroachment issues here. Shah said encroachers must be evicted to which Bengal Chief Minister said eviction cannot be done without giving appropriate compensation. 

The Chief Minister once again raised the dues of the state from the Centre. 

She spoke about the Centre's stepmotherly treatment towards Bengal when it came to releasing funds. Banerjee also spelt out the difficulties the state has been facing for this. She also spoke about the dues under the 100 days of work with Bihar also raising the same topic. Shah told Banerjee that the funds for 100 days of work might be pending due to some problems in reports filed by the state to the Centre to which the latter stated that there were no errors on the part of the Bengal government. 

Banerjee handed over a copy of the letter to Shah which was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in relation to the dues. 

Banerjee also added that compensation for Cyclone Amphan-affected victims was given to the state pretty late. Shah proposed the formation of a committee to handle natural disasters in the north-east states. 

The Bengal Chief Minister also complained that the DVC releases water without proper intimation to Bengal causing difficulties for the state. 

This is often a contentious issue between the two neighbouring states. Shah said that the DVC has its committee and that both states should sit together and discuss the issue. 

The Council meeting continued for 1 hour 40 minutes from 11 am. The Bengal Chief Minister was the Vice Chairman and the host of the event. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and Odisha Cabinet minister Pradeep Amat attended the meet. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/eviction-cannot-happen-without-proper-payoff-cm-to-home-min-502585