By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Thursday demanded sealing of the international border to prevent militants from getting arms, which in turn may help achieve sustainable peace in the State as well as the entire Northeastern region.
“The international borders must be effectively guarded to ensure that consignments of arms and ammunitions do not reach the hands of militants in the State or elsewhere in the region,” he said.
The Chief Minister also outlined the need to upscale the strength of the police organisation in the State, while stating that the State Government has taken the requisite steps by creating new police stations and strengthening the manpower.
Dr Sangma also stated that the support which the State Government is receiving from the Central Government to oversee the law and order situation in the State is not enough.
“We need to ask the Centre for more support,” the Chief Minister said on Thursday, while adding that ways and means have to be formulated to further improve the overall law and order situation in the State.
DGP N Ramachandran said that the State Police requires lot of support in terms of logistics, arms and ammunitions besides others.
He stated that the State has six armed police battalions out of which one battalion is posted in New Delhi while one battalion is undergoing training.
Both the Chief Minister and the DGP rued the fact that each police station in the militant-infested areas of the State has a strength of only eight police personnel.
“We have huge limitations and we need to increase our strength,” Dr Sangma said, while adding that the disturbed East Garo Hills district has only two police stations.
Meanwhile, replying to a query on why GNLA chief Champion Sangma had not been booked under the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA), the DGP said the State Police will take a call at the right time.
“We are confident that we can prosecute him in many cases,” he added.