Migration of people from B'desh delayed

Lack of clarity on relief and resettlement plan

Lack of preparedness and some issues related to Indian enclave dwellers in Bangladesh might have postponed their migration even though three months have passed since the enclaves were exchanged between the two countries.

Scheduled to happen since November 1, migration has been delayed by almost a fortnight and it could take longer.

Even as officials remain tight-lipped over the delay, sources said that the first batch of Indians from Bangladesh could arrive on November 19. “Initially they were to arrive on November 1 but it was re-scheduled to November 5. It has been delayed further. The administration still has to work out a number of things before the new arrivals can be accommodated,” a source said.

Sources pointed out that the arrangement was between the Centre, which is providing funds for resettlement, and the state government, which is responsible for arranging resettlement and rehabilitation. “The state government has hardly done much to expedite the process. The temporary camps at Haldibari, Mekhliganj and Sahebganj are yet to be erected,” the source said.

A senior bureaucrat, however, refuted the allegations. “We’ve made decent arrangements. They will live in temporary shelters till permanent housing is built. We’ll provide them cooked food for a month and then free ration till 2017. The district administration is scouting for land to set up permanent settlements,” he said. Without elaborating further, Cooch Behar District Magistrate P Ulganathan said, “The process is getting delayed due to technical reasons.”

Sources informed that initially the number of people crossing over stood at nearly 1,400, but by October it went down to 991. “Even that figure is questionable now. The number could go down below 950. Initially, many people were interested in migrating and filled documents for Indian citizenship but several have backed out,” a source said.

An official said people changed their minds due to lack of clarity on matters of compensation and resettlement. “Neither the Centre nor the state are clearly stating the terms of relocation,” said the official.  During the formal exchange of enclaves on July 31-August 1 midnight, India and Bangladesh had agreed on November 30 as the deadline for crossing over.