New Delhi
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Friday asked the National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to immediately seal 48.11 km porous areas of Indo-Bangla border on a war-footing at a high level meeting here. He also asked the Border Security Force to use proven technology to intensify its vigil and put a spanner on the alleged influx and smuggling from across the border.
“Fencing of the unfenced areas of Indo-Bangla border would lead to ‘complete sealing off the border between the two geographical entities and it will also stop illegal movements from across the border,” the Chief Minister asserted.
During the meeting, the NBCC and CPWD pointed out that of the 48.11 km unfenced border between Assam and Bangladesh, fencing of 13.38 km would be completed as soon as the flood water recedes. Mr Sonowal asked to start the fencing work right from October so that the whole process can be completed before the onset of the next monsoon.
Sharing his observation of the border fencing during his recent visit on August 15 in the flood affected areas in Mankachar-South Salmara district, Mr Sonowal said that the submerged barbed wire fencing gets corroded which results in wear and tear and asked the NBCC and CPWD to use anti-corrosion agent to lend durability to the fences. Moreover, he asked the BSF to use proven technology to guard Indo-Bangla border and rein in over all illegal movements along the border.
Mr Sonowal also urged the BSF to use their manpower besides deploying equipment like camera, radar, sensor, fibre optic, etc for an error free vigilance on the entire stretch of the border that Assam shares with Bangaldesh. Joint Secretary (NE), Ministry of Home Affairs Satyendra Garg, Joint Secretary, Border Management Pradip Gupta, Director, NE Ministry of Home Affairs, Anup Sharma, M C Bansal, Additional Directory General (Border) CPWD, Sanjay Agarwal, Chief Engineer IBBZ-II, Siliguri, CPWD, Ashok Kr. Sharma, IG Operations BSF, Praveen Bakshi Commandant BSF, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Superintending Engineer ADG (Border), CPWD and a host of senior officers of the line departments were also present at the meeting.