Assam CM meets Rajnath, discusses security issues

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday asked Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to order that the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing, including in the riverine section, be completed at the earliest.

Sonowal, who called on Rajnath Singh at his residence in the national capital, also asked for installations of new fencing with modern design, and that the border fencing in Assam's neighbouring states should also be completed soon, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said in Guwahati.

The Home Minister agreed to re-examine the entire matter of Indo-Bangladesh border fencing in a time-bound manner, it added.

The fencing of Indo-Bangladesh border is one of the main poll planks of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in Assam last year.

The Home Minister had earlier assured that the Central government would take up steps to seal the India-Bangladesh border to end the illegal infiltration problem.

Sonowal, during his nearly two hour-long meeting with Rajnath Singh, also apprised him about the critical issues of the state, including expeditious updation of National Register of Citizens, implementation of the Assam Accord, granting of Scheduled Tribe status to six communities, Bodoland, police modernisation and deployment of additional security forces.

--IANS

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