New Delhi: Efforts are underway to strengthen the border fencing with Bangladesh in Meghalaya.
Already, fencing over 367.155 km of the 443 km international border has been completed and work is still on over an additional 19.759 km. Land acquisition issues, objections by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), limited working seasons and difficult terrain with landslide-prone and marshy areas are some of the challenges the government is dealing with, stated the minister of state, Nityanand Rai, in a reply to an unstarred question in the lower House of the Parliament.
Border security is being provided by advanced technological equipment at places where fencing cannot be done. Devices such as handheld thermal imagers (HHTIs), night vision devices and twin telescopes are being provided. Besides this intelligence capability, enhanced coordination is made with the state government/intelligence agencies and extra-human power is being provided for sustaining vigilance.
Border security and cross-border cooperation issues are being taken care of through bilateral mechanisms, such as director general-level talks between the BSF and BGB and the joint working group on security and border infrastructure. The coordinated border management plan has further advanced collaboration, allowing for simultaneous patrolling day and night, pillar checks, flag meetings and better information exchange to tackle cross-border crimes and maintain peace.
The government has assured that it will overcome the hurdles and complete the border fencing projects on time. For the financial year 2024-25, Rs 299.58 crore has been sanctioned for the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing. So far, Rs 19.54 crore has been released to executive agencies for Meghalaya. The border area people of the state had been living in constant fear.