A joint team of the Jalpaiguri district administration and the Border Security Force (BSF) reached Dakshin Berubari panchayat area in Jalpaiguri’s Sadar block on Tuesday and assured residents of four border villages that they would not face any crisis if fences are installed at the India-Bangladesh border.

On Sunday, residents of four villages which are located along the unfenced stretches of the international border had expressed apprehension that if the BSF went about installing fences at a distance of 150 yards from the Zero Point, homes and agricultural land of around 500 families, along with religious places and anganwadi centres would fall beyond the fence.

At the same time, these villagers wanted fences to be put up to prevent infiltration in their areas, they had stressed.

“We certainly want fences to be installed along the border as we are apprehensive that Bangladeshis might sneak into our areas, especially after the recent political unheaval in the neighbouring country. But if the BSF installs the fences after leaving 150 yards vacant from Zero Point, hundreds of us would be left in a very vulnerable position,” Palendranath Roy, a resident of Boroshoshi, one of the four bordering villages, had said.

A section of anxious villagers had said that if the BSF started installing fences at any point beyond 50 yards from Zero Point, they would resort to protests.

As this information reached the administration, Shama Parveen, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, held a meeting on this issue on Tuesday and also spoke with the BSF on villagers’ concerns.

“We have sent a joint team to the villages today (Tuesday). The team members have assured the villagers that the point they have flagged would be considered. If fences are installed along the unfenced stretches, we will ensure that the houses, agricultural land, schools and anganwadi centres do not fall beyond the fences,” said Parveen.

Later in the day, the team reached Foudarpara, a locality in Boroshoshi.

Mihir Karmakar, the block development officer of the Sadar block, spoke to the anxious villagers. The visiting team also went to the hamlets where the residents pointed out to the officials how the installation of the proposed fences, at a distance of 150 yards from Zero Point, would affect their lives.

“We gathered detailed information from villagers and will report to our senior officers. The administration is with the residents and all necessary steps in this regard (regarding the installation of fences and construction of border roads) will be taken in consultation with them,” said Karmakar, the BDO.

Sources in the BSF said they would speak with their counterparts in Bangladesh, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), before commencing the work.

“At least 50 yards are required to be kept vacant from Zero Point for fences and for the bordering road. We will speak to the BGB in this regard,” said a source in the BSF.

The team’s visit and their repeated assurances have brought villagers some relief, said Saradaprasad Das, the secretary of Dakshin Berubari Simanta Nagarik Samiti, a forum of the residents of these four villages.

“We have been extremely perturbed over the issue. Today (Tuesday), the administration and the BSF have assured us that the point we have raised will be duly considered. We hope the fences will come up in such a manner so that none of the families have to live beyond it,” said Das.