Shillong, Sep 29: The Meghalaya government has directed district administrations to initiate a process for imposing curfew along the India-Bangladesh border amid concerns over infiltration.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Prestone Tynsong with officials of the BSF and Meghalaya Police on Tuesday.
“We have already directed the respective district administration to have a brief meeting with all the concerned traditional heads or the Rangbah Shnong. And thereafter, curfew will be imposed,” Tynsong told reporters.
He said the Village Defence Parties (VDPs) have been activated in villages along the international border.
“We have already activated all the VDPs, especially in those international border villages. And we are also closely working together with the traditional heads, with the headmen and then with the VDP,” he said.
On how people are crossing despite BSF presence, Tynsong pointed to difficult terrain and poor accessibility.
“We need to understand the ground reality. The ground reality, as far as Meghalaya is concerned, you know well, the accessibility is not like in the plain belt, not like West Bengal or other parts of the country,” he said.
“Even if the BSF comes in one place, next, maybe after 100 metres, especially at night time, you can’t see,” he added.
He said border infrastructure is still inadequate.
“The required infrastructure is still not that as expected. So therefore, I’m telling you the challenges are there,” he said.
But he maintained that BSF and state police are working to prevent infiltration.
“In spite of those challenges, be it the BSF or be it a police force, we are on the job and we would like to see that infiltration is zero down to zero level,” Tynsong said.
