The all-party meeting on Monday. (Surajit Roy)

Malda, June 9: The Farakka Barrage authorities have decided to deploy the Central Industrial Security Force at Manikchak where residents have stalled anti-erosion work along the Ganga.

At an all-party meeting at the district magistrate’s office here today, the administration endorsed the barrage authorities’ decision to deploy the para-military force from tomorrow to enable them to go ahead with the work.

“Some problems have arisen at two places —Manikchak and Kaliachak — where the anti-erosion work is being carried out by the barrage authorities,” said district magistrate Chittaranjan Das.

He said the general manager of the Farraka Barrage project, Naresh Kumar, had complained that “people with vested interests” in Manikchak had prevented his team from carrying out the work on “flimsy grounds”.

The problem in Kaliachak is over land acquisition. “Villagers in the Simultala area of the block are reluctant to part with their land without compensation. The barrage authorities will have to construct an 800-metre-long circuit embankment (as the river curves there) to prevent flooding. We will sit with the landowners this evening and sort out the matter,” Das said.

According to Kumar, the Congress MP from Malda has lobbied at the Centre for funds to take up anti-erosion work, while supporters of his party as well as those from the CPM are obstructing the work.

The general manager said there was no paucity of funds. “We have Rs 75 crore for the work. If we do not construct the circuit embankment at Simultala, the danger of a severe flood looms large.”

The residents of Simulatala have already been paid half the compensation for their land.

“We have told them to allow the construction of the embankment and promised them to pay the rest of the amount by the end of July. They will also be compensated for any loss of house or tree,” Das said adding he was trying to complete the formalities as soon as possible.

Malda MP Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury said: “We should all cooperate with the barrage officials.”