Border fencing still a distant dream
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 21 2012:
The construction work of border fencing along Indo-Myanmar border which was initiated by Union Ministry of Home Affairs to curb the activities of UG groups, drug trafficking, smuggling of Indian currency and arms, remained stagnant today with less than 50 percent of the works completed so far.
According to a highly placed source, the State Home Department has been notified by Devaki Nandan, 2 IC of 25 Border Road Task Force, which is taking up the border fencing that the progress of the work has been hampered in recent past due to a number of reasons.
The source revealed that major activities involved in border fencing like field management works/ cutting/filling of a distance of around 9.12 kms has only been completed upto a distance of 4.73 kms.
Moreover, out of 9.12 kms where picket fixing and outer intermediate is to be conducted, only 3.374 kms has been executed; out of the 9.12 kms for doing concrete work only 2.974 kms have been executed; out of the 9.12 kms where barb wire fixing is to be taken up, only 2.76 kms have been completed so far; fixing of concentric coils which is to be laid out over a distance of 9.12 kms has been completed for only 2.54 kms and out of the total number of 12358 MS plates to be fixed, only 3432 plates have been fixed till today.
The reasons for the slow progress in the construction of border fencing, as maintained by the Border Road Task Force, are continuous and prolonged rains in the area; the temporary track constructed for movement of construction vehicles which passes through the Myanmar territory is often blocked by Myanmar authorities by erecting barricades and also the idle laying of the DPR for the construction process in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the source said.
The source pointed out that problem with the Myanmar authorities needs to be solved through diplomatic channels and there is the urgent need to sanction the DPR to enable the BRTF to construct a proper track for movement of construction vehicles.
It may be noted here that the total length of Indo-Myanmar border is 1643 kms.
Out of this, the total length of border road which falls under Manipur area is 398 kms.
The survey for border fencing was taken up in 2009 after which the work charge was allocated to 25-BRTF.