NEW DELHI, July 23 � The Centre today admitted that a three kilometre stretch in Karimganj district that has remained undemarcated, is now proposed to be handed over to Bangladesh.
In a Rajya Sabha reply to a question by Pankaj Bora, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that an area of about three kilometres in Lathitilla-Dumabri in Assam is one of the three undemarcated stretches along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
During the visit of the Bangladesh Prime Minister in September 2011, a Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) was signed, which settled the long outstanding land boundary issues, including demarcation of the three undemarcated segments, Rijiju added.
In this regard, the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill for implementing the LBA 1974 and its 2011 Protocol had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha in December 2013. The Bill is currently under consideration of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs.
Bora wanted to know whether a large segment of land boundary in Karimganj district sector of the Assam-Bangladesh border has remained undemarcated, and because of which, whether there is no border fencing in that area.
Meanwhile, in reply to a separate question, Rijiju said there was no report that the deported Bangladeshi persons are left at the border, due to which they re-infiltrate into Indian territory. On the contrary, the deported persons are handed over at the border to Bangladeshi officials, who ensure that the repatriated persons are sent home.
The Central Government is vested with powers to deport a foreign national illegally staying in the country under Section 3(2) (c) of the Foreigners Act, 1946. These powers to identify and deport illegally staying Bangladeshi nationals have also been delegated to the state governments, Rijiju said.
A Standard Operating Procedure exists for detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and for repatriation of rescued victims of trafficking. People who illegally enter India from Bangladesh are arrested by the BSF and State police, and after completion of legal action against them, they are deported to Bangladesh.
