AGARTALA / SABROOM, June 25 (TIWN): After the Modi Govt set a deadline of one year to completely seal the 223.7 km long Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam by June 2017, now the Central Govt. is focusing to seal Indo-Bangla Border in Tripura. Secretary Border Management,MHA Susheel Kumar visiting South Tripura to review the progress of Border Infrastructure construction work in South Tripura .According to source , Susheel Kumar alongwith DM South and BSF officials visiting few spots to review ongoing work of Border Fencing work and few Border Area Development projects at Belonia, Hrishyamukh & Rajnagar area under South Tripura. Tripura’s porous border areas are continuously targeted by Bangladeshi smugglers for massive narcotics, arms smuggling, robbery on a daily basis. Bangladeshi smugglers even bribing BSF, Police officials so that robbers can cut barbed wire fencing in many places like Indo-Bangla border at Baruakadi,Dharmanagar.

 Susheel Kumar will take stock of Tripura-Bangla border fencing work and sensitive issues like Muhuri Char on Saturday.

In this regard a review meeting was held Friday between MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) and Tripura Govt. officials in the presence of Chief Secretary Y P Singh,In-Charge DGP K Nagraj, RD Dept. Principal Secretary GSG Ayyanagar.

For Assam, the sealing of borders including riverine areas and "technological barriers" will have to be completed by June, 2017. The decision of the government comes close on the heels of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government taking charge in Assam. In the run up to the polls, the party had pledged to complete sealing of the international border with Bangladesh in order to prevent illegal immigration. 

But although the condition is very sensitive in Tripura too, but the CPI-M Govt. has no concerns to save the state from continuous influx of smugglers from Bangladesh.

Susheel Kumar along with senior officials of the department of Border Management,  on June 2 said that “The 223.7 km Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam should be sealed”. At the meeting, the Secretary, Border Management, briefed the ministers about the progress of border security infrastructure, programmes of border management and the way forward.  "It was informed that 4,374 km fence, 5,329.6 km border roads, 3,974 km floodlights and 2,420 numbers Border Out Posts (BOPs) have been constructed along the international borders for security of the borders," an official release said. 

But Tripura Govt. instead of co-operation is delaying the fencing project with issues like Muhuri Char. State PWD has no concerns about the ongoing border fencing works inside the state. However, the fencing work of Tripura Border is going at a snail pace fueling with various state govt. and Central Govt. issues as Muhuri Char and the half done 9.5 KM unfenced border at Sonamura.

Whereas illegal intrusion and border unwanted incidents are so much frequent due to the Indo-Bangla unfenced border, the border fencing work has been  almost stopped in many places and going  in at snails pace.

Sonamura subdivision has become the centre for lots of Islamic terrorists intrusions in state Tripura, which is increasing the terror among the common public here. Reportedly, Sonamura subdivision is the centre for all illegal activities from arms to narcotics smuggling, which has become as a threat for the safety of common masses.

Bangladeshi robbers, smugglers are  becoming threats to State’s security and reportedly few international terrorist groups like HUJI, ISIS trying establish bases in Tripura.

But, CPI-M led State Govt is more interested to win the vote banks especially to gain the minority community supports from places like Sonamura and other Border areas.