Border fencing in Tripura to start on 15 March

AGARTALA, February 19: The work on putting up a fence along the international border in Tripura will begin on 15 March. The decision was taken at a meeting here. The Chief Minister, officials of the state government, Union home ministry, BSF, Border Road Organisation and the four D of Tripura were present in the meeting. Initially the work will begin along a 40-km stretch, officials said. The BRO earlier sought approval from the Union home ministry. Rs 9 crore has been approved by Centre at the first phase for implementing the project. It has been estimated that about Rs 27 lakh will be needed for every kilometre. Work on putting up fence along 39 km of the boundary from Jalaya to Boalbari in South Tripura will be taken up in the next phase. PL Thanga, commissioner, border, said the Centre has earmarked Rs 19 crore for the first phase. The BRO will implement the work. The state earlier approached the Centre to put up fence along the international boundary to check trans-border movement of militants. There are 29 militant camps in Sylhet and the Chittagong hill regions. Meanwhile, MD Janibul Haq, joint secretary to the Bangladesh government has assured that Dhaka will not allow the insurgents to operate in Bangladesh territory. In the meeting of the India-Bangladesh joint working group concluded in New Delhi on Saturday the Bangladeshi officials were urged by their Indian counterparts to take up the issue of rebel activities across border with the appropriate authorities in their country.