Centre to curb illegal activities along NE border

Aizawl, July 2: Union Minister of state for Home Affairs S Regupathy said the Centre has chalked out various plans to curb the illegal drug trade and infiltration along the border areas in the NE region.

Talking to UNI at the Governor's house, the minister said the Centre has taken serious concern about the reports of illegal drug trade especially along the Indo-Myanmar area and illegal immigrants along Indo-Bangla border during the recent past.

''Centre has alreaday taken initatives to deploy more security forces along the international border in NE region to curb all illegal activities'', he said.

According to the minister, in view of the increased security forces, especially after increasing para military forces along these border areas in the NE region, the statstics shows that killing of civilians by the insurgents groups had gone down by six per cent compared to 2004.

Besides this, killing of security forces also came down drastically by 36 per cent during the same period.

''Though Mizoram and its surroundings has remained largely peaceful, the Centre acknowledged the need for modernization of state police'', Mr Regupathy said, adding cumulative financial assistance extended by his Minsitry till date was about Rs 54 crores.

Apart from this, the minister also mentioned that the state has also been sanctioned three Indian Reserve Battalion for augmenting their police forces.

UNI