Guwahati: Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba on Friday said efforts are on to complete fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in Assam by the end of 2018.

Addressing a news conference here, Gauba said the physical fencing along Bangladesh border will be supplemented by state-of-the-art electronic devices to curb infiltration.

The Union home ministry has approved a smart fence for the India-Bangladesh border in the state on the lines of the one constructed by the Engineering Projects India Ltd (EPIL) in Oman, which cannot be cut or negotiated easily.

Assam parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary had informed the Assembly in September this year that of the 263km India-Bangladesh border in the state, 13.38km of the land border and 48.11km riverine border remain unfenced.

The home secretary met chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal here on Friday morning and discussed a host of issues concerning the state, including the border fencing.

Gauba said connectivity in the border areas is an important issue.

"There is a proposal to construct a 264km four-lane road along the India-Bhutan border in Assam and we will pursue it with the ministry of road transport and highways in Delhi," he said.

On the apprehension among the people of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh that territories of these states may be included in "Nagalim" once the Centre signs a final agreement with the NSCN (I-M), he said, "People at the highest level of the government have already clarified that the territorial integrity of the states will not be impacted."