IMPHAL, Feb 13 � Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on his maiden visit to the State visited Moreh border town in Manipur on Friday and inspected ongoing construction of the Integrated Check Post(ICP) and Immigration office, sources said.
Rajnath accompanied by Union Minister of State (Home) Kiren Rijiju along with State Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam, Commerce and Industries Minister Gobindas Konthoujam and MLA DK Korungthang were airlifted from Imphal by a helicopter for Moreh soon after arriving from New Delhi around 1 pm.
Later, speaking to media, the Union Minister said that a plan has been formulated for raising two battalions of BSF and Sashastra Seema Bal with surrendered militants of Assam and Manipur. Rajnath also said that the Home Ministry will start raising the battalions sooner or later. The two auxiliary battalions will have a strength of 750 each.
The stringent selection criteria of the forces would be eased for militants who have signed �suspension of operation� agreement with the State Governments. A similar drive in the North East in the early 1970s was successful, prompting the government to revive the plan, sources said.
Rajnath said that the main objective of his coming here is to review the functioning of the Assam Rifles in Manipur particularly along the Indo-Myanmar border. The State shares around 350 km long border with Myanmar. He also held a brief interaction with the locals at Moreh.
Later in the afternoon, Rajnath chaired a security meeting at the CM Secretariat in Imphal which was attended by DCs and SPs of the nine districts. The Union Minister is scheduled to proceed to Tripura tomorrow morning.
