Asia/South Asia
6 years ago

Assam to seal Indo-Bangla border by Dec

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The India-Bangladesh border in Assam will be sealed by December, state chief minister Sonowal told reporters in Guwahati on Friday.

The state will employ technical solutions on the river part of the frontier and smart fencing on the land area, reports the Times of India.

The chief minister said the move was part of the state's initiative to curb cross-border infiltration and smuggling.

He completed two years in office on the day.

The government would  be taking effective measures to make the state "economically vibrant" and free from "scourge of illegal migration and insurgency", he told reporters.

Talking about the widespread protests in Assam over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, he said, the state government would never go against the interests of its people.

The bill seeks to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of their residence in India.

"Assam has taken initiatives to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) under the directions of the Supreme Court," Mr Sonowal said.

"Ours is the first and only state in the country undertaking this exercise to document bonafide citizens of the state."

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