From Our Correspondent
MAWKYRWAT, Aug 18: The National People’s Party (NPP) Ranikor Block on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, requesting them to deploy more forces in the Ranikor area, claiming that around 30 villages in the Indo-Bangladesh border right from Khonjoy, Rongdangai up to Maheshkhola are under threat from international gangs from Bangladesh.
Nelbi T. Sangma, president of NPP Ranikor Block, said he and his team visited different villages and met headmen, elders and civil societies of the area and learnt that there was an urgent need to deploy more security forces to protect the innocent people of the area who are facing grave threat from armed gangs from Bangladesh.
The NPP unit demanded police outposts in Khonjoy, Maheshkhola and AD Camp at Rongdangai village to thwart any criminal attempts from across the border.
The NPP leader also requested the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to send any minister or MLA from the Garo community to understand the problems being faced by the innocent people of the area.
“As of now, it is learnt that villagers are sleepless every night fearing for their safety,” Sangma said in the letter.
In view of the tense situation in the border villages, Mawsynram MLA Olan Sing Suin and Ranikor MLA Pius Marwein hold a meeting at Dangar village, East Khasi Hills, with the commandants of 16 border outposts of the Border Security Force (BSF) and police officials from both constituencies to discuss the threat posed to the residents of the border areas by Bangladeshis sneaking into Indian territories.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Marwein said they briefly discussed about the situation in the border areas of both Ranikor and Mawsynram, especially in the wake of the recent incident in which around eight Bangladeshis criminals illegally infiltrated into Indian territories and committed crimes including robbing and kidnapping.
Suin said they were concerned with the illegal infiltration by Bangladeshis into Indian territories because of the volatile situation in the neighbouring country.
He said they have urged the Police Department to deploy personnel to every check point to join the BSF in guarding the borders.