From Our Correspondent
AGARTALA:Voicing concern over the snarl pace of the ongoing barbed wire fencing and flood lighting along the Indo-Bangla border owing to shortage of fund, Tripura Chief Secretary on Friday said militants have been using some pockets of unfenced border as safe corridor.
Talking to media at Civil Secretariat here, the Chief Secretary said about 183 km stretches of the total 856 KM Indo-Bangla border had still been left porous while only 180 kilometer of the total sanctioned flood-lighting area 854 kilometer has so far been completed.
Though there is no militant hideout in Tripura, they infiltrate state’s territory through the unfenced border from across the border and leave the place after committing killing or abduction, he said.
The Chief Secretary, however, praised the role of Bangladesh government in flushing out ultras from its soil. “During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had discussion with three Chief Ministers of Northeastern states. In turn, she promised that her government would not allow anti-Indian elements to operate from Bangladesh.
The Chief Secretary also expressed his dissatisfaction the slow progress of flood lighting along the international border. “The National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC) and National Building Construction Company (NBCC) have been failing to expedite the fencing works even after considerable time of undertaking the project”, he said. As per the schedule, the fencing work is supposed to be completed by March 2012 next.
Panda, who had already written a letter urging the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to speed up the flood lighting project along the border, also expressed dismay over the tardy pace of the work. Around 182 km Indo-Bangla border has so far been put under flood lighting in West and Dhalai district. Sources said, due to fund constraint, the NPCC could not gain progress in the flood lighting work along the border.
Emphasizing on better coordination between BSF and TSR to man the international border effectively, the Chief Secretary said that the Centre had promised to send one battalion BSF after withdrawal of two battalions of CRPF after 2008 Assembly election but it has not kept the words.
