Help seal border with B’desh: Assam to Centre

Bijay Sankar Bora

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Tribune News Service

Guwahati, September 27

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on today reiterated the Assam Government’s request before the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to help the state completely seal the border with Bangladesh to prevent infiltration across it.

During a meeting with Rajnath in New Delhi , Sonowal requested him to hand over the border fencing work to the Army as was done in case of Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, according to an official source here.

Sonowal apprised Rajnath of his personal visit to Indo-Bangla border in Dhubri sector. Out of 280-km Indo-Bangla borders in Assam, 71-km portion was unfenced in patches, while a 60-km stretch within the unfenced portion was riverine that required specialised technology to completely seal the border.

Sonowal also requested Rajnath for additional companies of paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the state. He discussed about the possibility of raising Indian Reserved Battalion in Assam. Rajnath asked him to submit a proposal for the same and assured that the initial fund for raising the force would be provided by the Centre.

Sources say there is an apprehension that jihadi activities in state’s remote areas may witness an upsurge.

Sonowal requested Rajnath for immediate extension of the term of the Foreigners Tribunal in the state for five more years. At present 100 Foreigners Tribunals are functioning in Assam out of which 64 were created in 2014 in compliance with the Supreme Court directions for a period of two years. As the validity of these tribunals expired on February 9, 2016, Sonowal requested for extension of their terms.

He also requested Rajnath for early release of fund for speedy updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.