CM, BRO officials meet on border fencing project
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 24 2023:
Stepping up measures to prevent illegal infiltration and proliferation of illegal arms as well as drug trafficking from across the border, chief minister N Biren and officials of Border Road Organisation (BRO) discussed construction of a 70-km long border fencing along Indo-Myanmar border at the CM's secretariat, here, on Sunday.
Chief secretary Vineet Joshi, DGP Rajiv Singh, senior officials of home department and BRO attended the meeting.
In a social media post, CM Biren said that 70 km long border fencing will be constructed in unfenced and strategic locations of Indo-Myanmar border in order to prevent illegal infiltration and drug and arms trafficking from across the border.
Mention may be made here that chief minister N Biren, in a press conference on Saturday, said that his government had written to the Centre to do away with the free movement regime between India and Myanmar, which allows citizens of both the countries to enter either side without any visa up to a distance of 16 km.
Manipur shares 398 km long international boundary with Myanmar and only about 6 km of the stretch has been fenced as of now.
With reports of armed militants from across the border being involved in the ongoing crisis in the state, the demand for fencing the porous Indo-Myanmar border has been growing louder.
There had also been an instance of as many as 718 illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country entering the state via Chandel district on July 22 and 23 .
The government has also sought a detailed report from the Assam Rifles on how the Myanmar nationals, including 301 children, "were allowed to enter India" without "proper travel documents" in just two days; along with strict advice to push back those 718 Illegal Myanmar nationals immediately.
Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi said in a communication to the Assam Rifles that "in connection with similar issues in the past, the state government had clearly informed the Assam Rifles, being border guarding force, to take strict action to prevent entry of Myanmar nationals into Manipur on any ground without valid visa/travel documents as per the instruction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India" .