Border fencing a major problem, Indian farmer losing agricultural land

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 30, 2026

The union minister Amit Shah’s current enthusiasm about guarding Indian borders from Bangladeshi infiltration has raised both concern and hope among Indian nationals , specially farmers living within the fencing-150 yards from the zero line. While the bordering states are concerned over the home minister’s insistence on having no pucca construction within fifteen kms of the border has raised concern of people and government in northeast, specially Tripura where ten of the 23 subdivisional towns including state capital , Agartala stand on the edge of the border, the Indian people, specially farmer living within the fenced outline of the border are hoping that the union home ministry will try to protect their agricultural lands that fallen outside the fencing up to the zero line of the border.

Explaining the problem a resident of bordering Madhupur area under Bishalgarh subdivision said that the decision on fencing had been taken by the first NDA government to stop infiltration from across the border . But when the fencing work was in progress during the rule of the UPA government the construction agencies had paid hefty money to ministers and officials including in the BSF to change the alignment of the fencing for their convenience but damaging the vital interests of farmers living along the border. “ As per agreed norm between the two countries the fencing was to be raised 150 yards from the zero line within Indian territory but some construction agencies built the fencing between 200-400 yards of Indian territory and as a result our fertile agricultural land fell outside the fencing and we now can not cultivate them ; this was done by the agencies by paying bribes to local political leaders and officials of the state government and BSF” said Narayan Dasgupta ,an aged farmer from Debipur area under Bishalgarh subdivision.

He said that despite many appeals and deputations with the state’s officials they had not been able to ensure proper alignment of the fencing. “The main trouble now is the whimsical and capricious way in which the BSF posted at the border open and close the fencing gates and , as a result, the few people who could cultivate their land earlier and harvest crops can not do so now ; we find the BSF posted along the border big cowards busy shirking their duties and responsibilities ; it is therefore important that BSF people are chastised by the home ministry ; the local political leaders also need to be kept in check because at the time of construction of the fencing it was the local political leaders of CPI (M) who had accepted bribes from the construction agencies to let them raise fencing in total violation of norms”said Narayan Dasgupta. He appealed to the state and union government, to take into consideration the interests of the Indian farmers while strengthening the fencing as in many areas the fencing has either been cut down by border criminals of India and Bangladesh and in other areas there has been natural way and tear.

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