Army should undertake Indo-Bangla border fencing: BJP MP

Guwahati, Aug 18 (UNI) Assam BJP MP Narayan Borkataky today demanded that the Army be directly handed over the task of fencing along the porous Indo-Bangla border.

Talking to person here, Mr Borkataky said, '' The engineering section of the military should be handed over the border fencing along Bangladesh as had been done in the western border with Pakistan.'' He also maintained that it should be undertaken in a time-bound manner. Moreover, total electrification in the sector was also necessary for checking infiltration from Bangladesh.

Citing the reply submitted by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs V Radhika Selvi in the Lok Sabha last week to his question on progress of border fencing, Mr Borkataky complained that the data provided was vague and did not have details.'' Altogether 197.38 km fencing had been completed in Assam at a cost of Rs 241.36 crore, in Meghalaya it was 380.12 km against a cost of Rs 370.35 crore, 658.06 km with a cost of Rs 1056.32 crore in Tripura, 91.01 km with a cost of Rs 278.44 crore in Mizoram and 1180.00 km at a cost of Rs 931.06 crore in West Bengal.

The BJP leader claimed that most places in the border were open and influx was continuing unabated.

''During our recent visit to the international border in Assam and Meghalaya, we found that there was no fencing in most places.

The few places that had fences, the condition was dilapidated,'' he added. He demanded that the border fencing work should be immediately handed over to the Army as open borders were a major threat to the internal security of the country.

UNI