No border fencing till disputes resolved: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, June 23 2022:
Chief Minister N Biren Singh has announced that the fencing works along the disputed areas of Indo-Myanmar border in the Manipur sector will not commence until all issues are resolved.
The CM was responding to questions from media persons on the sidelines of Olympic Day Run, 2022 organised at Olympic Bhavan, Khuman Lampak Sports Complex here on Thursday.
Biren said that no fences will be installed along the disputed border from pillar no 79 to 81 to 61, as earlier rejected both by UCM and the locals.
The secretary of the Union Home Ministry has been informed both verbally and via an official letter in this regard, and urged to dispatch a team from the Ministry for visiting the areas and properly identify the same with officials from both India and Myanmar, so as to settle the issue once and for all.
The CM continued that the Ministry has been requested formally to halt the fencing works temporarily from border pillar no.79 to 81 and as such, the work will be paused for some time.
The Chief Secretary would be given instructions in this regard and any further development will be taken after the arrival of the Home Ministry team and subsequent talks between the two countries.
Highlighting the seriousness of the border issue, Biren maintained that the government is not taking lightly of the matter but closely monitoring it.
No fencing work will be carried out in the disputed area although instances of smuggling of fertilisers, drug busts, etc., were due to absence of proper fencing.
Manipur has been a victim of the notorious golden triangle for a long time and thus, one must be alerted in all aspects including border crossings.
There is no need to argue over the disputed area for it will be fenced only after the disputes are settled, he reiterated.
Observing that Manipur seems to be always divided into two groups, which does not have any function at all; the CM asserted that we are one and must work together, while also understanding the situations that have cropped up due to the complex nature of Manipur.
Biren then informed that mass open gyms will be set up at select sites in Khuman Lampak and others, while adding that all the valley district areas have been declared as planned areas.
This means that the permission of the State Planning Board is required for any development works to be undertaken in the said areas.
The valley areas covered by the MLR Act is being declared as planned area to save agricultural land and encourage systematic administration, he conveyed.