Meghalaya moves Centre to fence Bangla border, check infiltration

SHILLONG, April 3: The Meghalaya Government has requested the Centre to complete the entire fencing on the 423-km-long international boundary as the fence has been of great help in checking of illegal influx of Bangladeshis into the hill State, State Chief Minister EK Mawlong said today. The Union Government has intimated to the state government that fencing on an additional stretch of 201 km on the border will be completed by 2007 leaving only a stretch of 44 km to be fenced, he told the State Assembly. Asked about the steps taken for checking infiltration of foreigners into the State, Mawlong stated that the strength of the BSF deployment has been increased during the year to six battalions from five battalions earlier. The state government is further taking up with the Centre the issues of further strengthening manpower on the border and reducing the distance between two border outposts to 5 km from the present 8 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, he told the House. Border problem with Assam : Discussions on border problems with Assam was presently suspended in view of the ensuing Assembly elections in that State, Mawlong told the Assembly yesterday. Replying to the debate on the Governor's address, Mawlong said that a number of meetings were held between him and his Assam counterpart Prafulla Kumar Mahanta to solve the problem during the past one year he was in power. On insurgency problem in the State, he said that 29 hardcore militants of the banned Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) had surrendered before the Government, and they would be properly rehabilitated.