Leishiyo studies feasibility of opening police O/P at border areas
Source: The Sangai Express

Thoubal, May 09 2020: A team led by MLA of Phungyar Assembly Constituency, Leishiyo Keising visited Namlee village under Kasom Khullen sub-division in Kamjong district today to study feasibility of setting up of police outposts at Namlee and Wanglee villages which are located along the Indo-Myanmar Border.

Meanwhile, 38 people, all residents of Phungyar AC who were earlier stranded outside the State reached Imphal from Guwahati this afternoon.

They were accorded a warm reception by MLA K Leishiyo, DC Kamjong and SP Kamjong.

After having lunch together, the returnees were flagged off for the quarantine centre opened at Kasom Khullen sub-divisional headquarters.

Leishiyo studies feasibility of opening police O/P at border areas

Till date 1239 stranded people have returned to the State by road, according to Additional Director and spokesman, Health Department Dr Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang.

The team led by Leishiyo included members of ADC Ukhrul namely NS Wungreiyo, S Thatasheng; SP Kamjong, Ningam Siro; Wanglee village headman T Dontak, Namlee village's headman K John; chairman of Tangkhul Naga Aze Longphang Shomi and key members of the village.

Speaking to media persons during the visit, the MLA said that the team inspected the villages in line with the instruction from Chief Minister N Biren Singh to make a field assessment of the border villages, check cross-border movement between the two countries and ensure there is no transmission of COVID-19 through porous sections of the international border.

The MLA maintained that border villages of Namlee and Wanglee in particular fall under border forest areas and reportedly many unofficial, unrecognised border trades are being carried out.

Expressing his concern, the MLA said that these forests have become a hub of transaction of narcotics, betel nuts and timbers.

Notably, a team of Kamjong district administration and Kasom Khullen police led by its OC along with concerned villagers sealed two porous routes lying along the Indo-Myanmar border and named it as gate No 1 and No 2 a few days back.

The gates which were erected by ceding Manipur's land after villagers on the Burmese side interfered into the construction of the gates along the border, are however still of no use as there is no proper fencing along the gates and there are many ways through which cross-border activities are carried out.

As villagers could not keep guarding the border round the clock, it would be very pertinent to set up police outposts at the villages to seal the border effectively in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and other illegal activities, the MLA suggested.

Headmans of Namlee and Wanglee also expressed gratitude to the team for paying a visit and taking stock of the situation at the border villages amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Headman of Namlee village, K John, maintained that the illegal activities have been reduced to a certain extent after setting up of the gates by the Kasom Khullen police and many involved in the activities have moved to the Myanmar side.

He however expressed regret that the routes connecting to Namlee and Wanglee villages have become hotspots for such wrongful activities.

He strongly urged the State Government to set up a police station to curb the menace while adding the village has already built shelter for the police personnel.

Chief of Wanglee village, T Dontak while expressing gratefulness to the visiting team stressed on the importance of setting up of police outposts which will monitor and check illegal cross-border movements and transactions.

At the end of the visit, the team announced sites selected to build police outposts at Namlee and K Bungdung villages.

MLA Leishiyo Keising, as a part of the visit, also interacted and assessed the plight of the people of different villages under Phungyar Assembly segment apart from extending relief materials.