CHENGRABANDHA (WEST BENGAL): Over one lakh Indians residing in 130 enclaves along the Indo-Bangla border in Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar districts of West Bengal are yet to get their right to vote despite assurances by almost all political parties since independence. According to the records available at the office of the sub-divisional officer at Mekhliganj, the Indian enclaves covered an area of 32.74 square miles while 93 Bangladeshi enclaves in India had 19.20 square miles of land.

The Indian administration has no idea about the population in these enclaves as no census has been conducted there since independence. However, the minimum population in the Indian enclaves would not be less than one lakh, officials said.

Coochbehar District Magistrate Indevar Pandey said there was a move by the Centre to find a permanent solution to the enclave problem but the initiative was in the primary stage. ``What we feel is that total exchange of enclaves is the only solution. After this electionwe will initiate the process again,'' he said.