Northeast India's international borders will be fenced: Official

International borders of the northeastern states would either be fenced or sealed to check trans-border movement of militants and prevent infiltration and cross-border crimes, a top Union Home Ministry official said here on Friday.

"Government has different approach depending upon the northeast India's borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. We have concrete action plan for the management of the borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar," Union Home Ministry's Border Management Secretary Susheel Kumar told reporters.

"Government has already decided to seal Assam's border with Bangladesh within two years. Most parts of Assam's 263-km-long border with Bangladesh are riverine," he said.

To a question the official said that topography, requirement and approach to manage the 1,640-km unfenced border with Myanmar are completely different from the Bangladesh border.

Four northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh, while Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,640-km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Susheel Kumar, who came here on Friday on a three-day visit to Tripura after meeting officials in Meghalaya and West Bengal, held a meeting with Tripura Chief Secretary Yashpal Singh, senior officials of the Border Security Force, District Magistrates and Collectors of different bordering districts besides senior state government officials.

"By December next year, Tripura's 856-km border with Bangladesh would be completely fenced to check trans-border movement of terrorists, hostile elements, prevent infiltration and check border crimes," he said.

"As per international norms, the barbed wire fencing is being erected 150 yards from the zero line of the borders. Where there are problems, the fencing is being erected at the Zero Line after taking cognisance of the Bangladesh government," he added.

The official, who will visit a few bordering areas during the next two days to assess border management, said that wherever the people's perception is different about erecting the fencing, the concerned District Magistrate and Collectors have been asked to talk to the people.

India had started erection of a fence and putting up of floodlights all along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura several years back to stop infiltration.

--IANS

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