Shillong, Sept 5: The state government has decided to urge the Centre for sanctioning of more projects for the economic development of the people residing along the international border with Bangladesh.

According to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, “It is not about just sealing the borders, it is about economically strengthening our borders, infrastructures, and overall facilities for the people living in the border areas.”

The chief minister informed that he would be meeting the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on September 9, for his personal intervention on the matter.

“I will be going to Delhi for the GST Council meeting on September 9. During this visit of mine for the GSTC meeting, I will once again be meeting the home minister and I will be stressing on the need to strengthen and re-sanction and reallot more projects for the border area development.”

“We have just finalised the memorandum today and we are also moving in that line,” he said.

Sangma said he had emphasized the need to seal the borders during his earlier meeting with the Union Home Minister in view of the violent situation in neighbouring Bangladesh.

“I have got a categorical reply and message from him (Amit Shah) that nobody will be allowed to enter our borders,” he said while adding “One-two incidents here and there are different issues but we are not going to see any kind of a formal or any kind of a large-scale immigration or movement of people from Bangladesh coming.”

“We are hopeful that the situation is now on the improving side. I should say it is still not deteriorating, but it is slightly stable compared to what it was initially. We are also seeing the trade normalising at the border area. These are good signs. I don’t expect that we will see any major challenges in the coming days but we should be alert, we should be careful,” he further stated.

Asked, the CM said, “Whatever we have done in the past, I think we need to do a bit more now keeping the situation in mind and overall fluid situation that is out there. Yes, all of these are being taken into consideration but as I said I do expect we will be able to see the situation improve. Trade has started in many locations and we hope that things will start normalising.”

In regards to the issue of unfenced border, Sangma said the government is very much aware about issues related to unfenced borders, which is about 40 to 50 kilometers along the international border.

“In fact when the situation happened, we had detailed and series of meetings including with the BSF and Army and the Meghalaya police at their level also and at my level also and at deputy CM’s level also. Special stress was laid on basically 1250 to 1350 – these are the pillars that are there. 1250 to 1350 were critical area where we know specially from 1250 to 1280 where the fencing is still pending. We are very much aware about it and we have been in discussion with the BSF and BSF is on very high alert in those areas and very good work has been done by BSF,” he added.

To another question, Sangma said, “Yes, we are moving towards trying to find out solution to this, get the local people on board and for the larger interest and safety and security of our people try to convince everybody that we need to complete the fencing in the unfenced area also.”

“These kinds of issues are there so how to overcome these issues as government of India has a national policy for this and this has been done throughout that area. That’s the reason why we could not move forward. I hope that now with the situation like that and the emergency kind of a situation where we need to take a stand, I hope we will be able to come to some kind of a conclusion,” he said.

Read: Conrad announces establishment of district-level committees to tackle drugs, implement MRSSA

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