Apang asks for more funds from Centre to modernise police force

Itanagar, Sep 25 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang has asked for more funds from the Centre to modernise the state police force, besides training two new battalions of armed wing, to handle counter insurgency operations in the state.

Offcial souces here today said the Chief Minister has stated this at the two-day Congress Chief Ministers' conference on internal security at Nainital in Uttaranchal yesterday.

He said that there are hardly sufficient forces to guard the international border. The state's border with Myanmar in the East pose problems for the state.

The Chief Minister has urged the Centre for sealing or fencing the Indo-Myanmar border.

''If Arunachal Pradesh has law and order problems, they were not home grown,'' Mr Apang said adding that several insurgent groups operating in the neighbouring states.

While raising the issue of refugees as another cause of concern for the state, Mr Apang said the refugees were temporarily settled in the state in 1964-69 and a large number of them were brought to Arunachal Pradesh as temporary measures.

He informed that their entry was considered to be violation of the Bengal East Frontier Regulation, 1873.

Mr Apang said the growth of refugee population was overburdening the society and economy of the state and a large number of them had illegally encroached upon around 2000 hectares of reserve forests, besides indulging in criminal activities like extortion, kidnapping and murder.

He also raised the boundary problem of his state with neighboring Asom and advocated that the issue should be addressed urgently to ease out tension between people of both the states.

Mr Apang also drew attention of the Centre on the need for peace bonus to the ''neglected'' state for its speedy socio-economic development.

''Money spent to contain communal violence or insurgency was like pumping money to a sick company with no guarantee of return on the investments,'' he added.

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