Complete border fencing: Meghalaya

SHILLONG, April 6: The Meghalaya government has requested the Centre to complete fencing of the 423-km long international boundary as the fence has been of great help in checking illegal influx of Bangladeshis into the hill state, state Chief Minister E K Mawlong has said. The Union Government has intimated to the state government that fencing of an additional stretch of 201 km on the border will be completed by 2007 leaving only a stretch of 44 km to be fenced. During 2001-2002, the Government of India has projected an amount of Rs 32 crore for the border road and border fencing along the Meghalaya sector of the Indo-Bangla border. About the steps taken for checking infiltration of foreigners into the state, Mawlong stated that BSF deployment had been increased during the year to six battalions from five battalions. The state government is further taking up with the Centre the issue of further strengthening manpower on the border and reducing the distance between two border outposts to 5 km from the present eight km. The state has also requested the Centre to amend the Indo-Nepal treaty of friendship to prevent the unabated entry of Nepali citizens into Meghalaya, Mawlong said.