From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured Shillong Lok Sabha member Ricky AJ Syngkon that a top-level officer will be assigned to keep a strict vigil over the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and other sectors following political upheavals in the neighbouring country.
In a one-to-one meeting with the Union Home Minister on Tuesday, Syngkon requested him to seal the vast and porous international border since many people from the disturbed country might sneak into the hill state in the wake of widespread violence. The Meghalaya government has imposed an indefinite night curfew along its international border with Bangladesh which remains in force within 200 metres of the Zero Line inside Indian territory.
The central government has also deployed nine BSF battalions along the international border and the Home Ministry has pledged additional forces if needed.
All the students from Meghalaya studying in Bangladesh have already been evacuated from the strife-torn country when mass violence erupted last month.
Shah also assured Syngkon that he will take up with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma the serious issue of extortion on highways by men in uniform in Meghalaya.
The VPP MP raised the distressing issue, stating that incidents of extortion, especially from drivers, have increased recently.
Meghalaya DGP, Idashisha Nongrang had said that the Police department will tackle the issue of extortion faced by truck drivers on national highways. She had assured that there would be a zero-tolerance policy and the use of “extreme measures” would be taken if necessary.