SILCHAR, Oct 19 - Expressing satisfaction after visiting the 36-km-long Indo-Bangla international border in Cachar district, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Assam KV Eapen has said that the Cachar border is not vulnerable to infiltration.
�As per instructions from the Chief Minister, I visited the Indo-Bangla international border of Cachar district along with a team of MLAs together with the Additional Director General of Police (CID) Anil Kumar Jha and the Cachar Deputy Commissioner. We started from the Jellalpore BOP and visited the border areas up to Tukargram BOP. We have seen the situation and took stock of the issues including border fencing, infiltration and smuggling along the border etc., and we found that overall the situation is normal here,� Eapen said.
In reply to a question on the recent incidents of arrest of JMB cadres from Katigorah in Cachar district, the Additional Chief Secretary said �with the way border is being manned by the BSF using modern technologies, Cachar border is not vulnerable to infiltration.� He added to say that the only 1.5 km of the Cachar border is unfenced but that is well guarded by the BSF with floodlights and cameras put in for keeping a close vigil. He also mentioned that fencing along the 350-metre riverine border area shall also be completed soon. Unlike Cachar district, the border situation at Karimganj is believed to be unsatisfactory. Hence two such similar teams shall visit the border areas therein and reports containing observations and recommendations on the visits shall be submitted to the Government as well, Eapen informed.
The Additional Chief Secretary informed that programme was organised to acclimatise the MLAs of respective constituencies to have a feel of the situation at the international border and as a part of the programme senior leader, Phani Bhushan Choudhury, MLA from Bongaigaon led the team of MLAs in which Kishore Nath (MLA Borkhola) Amar Chand Jain (MLA Katigorah), Krishnendu Paul (MLA Patherkandi) and Nizamuddin Choudhury (MLA, Algapur) represented Barak Valley. Also, BJP legislators Jairam Inglang and Ganesh Kumar Limbu accompanied the team.
The team also had interactions with the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB). In the words of Phani Bhushan Choudhury, two locations at Tukargram have porous border upto 1200 metre land area which will be fenced soon.
On the other hand, Ganesh Limbu said that he is happy to understand the situation at the Indo-Bangla border and claimed that the lacunas shall be looked into with priority. Meanwhile, Cachar Deputy Commissioner S Vishwanathan said that a project of Rs 15 crore for a model town for rehabilitating the people of 176 families who are currently staying outside the fencing along the border at Nathanpur BOP has already been submitted to the Government of India.
