Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to securing the state’s international frontier, reporting that 90 percent of the India-Bangladesh border fencing within Meghalaya has been completed. Out of the total 440-kilometre stretch of the border, approximately 400 kilometres are already fenced, placing Meghalaya ahead of other states in the national effort.
Sangma explained that the remaining 40 to 45 kilometres are pending due to sensitive local challenges, including instances where the proposed alignment cuts through villages and landholdings, creating practical difficulties for residents. He expressed confidence that through dialogue with affected communities, the state would eventually achieve full completion of the project.
The Chief Minister’s update coincided with a major national initiative announced by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate demographic changes across the country. Late Tuesday, the Ministry’s Foreigners-I Division issued a resolution constituting a High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed the move on his official X handle.
The resolution noted that demographic shifts in certain regions are not attributable to normal fertility or mortality trends but are instead linked to external factors such as illegal immigration, irregular population mobility, and administrative lapses. It warned that these changes, though most visible in border districts, have extended to urban centres, industrial corridors, tribal regions, and other sensitive areas, affecting public service delivery, governance, resource distribution, and social cohesion.
The committee, chaired by retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar, will include the Census Commissioner, retired IAS officer Durga Shankar Mishra, retired IPS officer Balaji Srivastava, and economist Shamika Ravi, with the Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) serving as Member Secretary. It has been tasked with conducting a scientific study of the causes and consequences of demographic changes, including illegal immigration, fertility variations, cross-border movement, and socio-economic factors.
The committee will also analyse structural population changes within religious and social communities and recommend policy, administrative, and legal measures. Based in New Delhi, it is required to submit its final report within one year, with full administrative and logistical support from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
