SHILLONG, April 11 — Meghalaya Government today decided to go ahead to form a joint command of the police forces of the State and neighbouring Assam to better facilitate coordination in tackling militancy in the two States.
The decision was taken at a meeting here today, Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang told newsmen. The joint command is expected to help both the States in curbing growing militant activities. The banned ULFA and NDFB ultras are known to have set up hide-outs in Meghalaya specially the Garo Hills area to escape the dragnet of the Unified Command.
Both the ULFA and NDFB have been extending material and training support to the local militant outfits besides carrying out operations in the hill State. With the limited police forces in hand, Meghalaya is ill-equipped to counter the activities of the militant outfits forcing the state to plead before the Centre for more forces.
Lapang had, in fact, sought deployment of the Assam Rifles besides more support from the BSF, when he met with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani in Delhi earlier this week. The Meghalaya Cabinet also decided to extend the detention period of those booked under Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act to three years from the present one year.
‘A bill to this effect would be introduced in the Assembly in the coming re-assembled Budget session,’ Lapang informed. Replying to a question, he said that the Government is enquiring into the ultra-politician nexus in the State.