Centre to review security scenario of poll-bound states in NE

Agartala, Dec 13 (UNI) The Union Home Ministry will review the law and order situation of the poll-bound Northeastern states, including Tripura, on December 20.

Official sources said here today that Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar was also invited to attend the meeting at New Delhi.

State Home department sources said the Director Generals of Police (DGPs) and state Home Ministers had been asked to attend the periodical review meeting on the security scenario, presided over by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

''Security situation in the NE states has been given priority in the agenda of the meeting because extremism in Assam has taken a worst turn while three other insurgency-affected states - Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya - are going to the polls in the next two months,'' officials stated.

The officials said the Union Home Ministry had asked the states to give a detailed account of the security strength and police modernisation initiatives as well as the intelligence network of the states before the meeting, which would be reviewed during discussion.

The Tripura government had already made requisition of 200 additional battalions of central paramilitary forces for the elections while requesting to set up 14 more Border Outposts along the Tripura-Bangladesh border before elections.

Meanwhile, four hardcore militants were killed and 21 others arrested while 14 militants surrendered before various security forces and deposited huge cache of arms during the past two months in different parts of the state, police said.

UNI