Mancachar (Assam), Sept. 2: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal today visited the border areas of Mancachar accompanied by a delegation of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and a host of legislators.
On arrival at Mancachar via road from Guwahati this afternoon, Sonowal paid a visit to Boraibari border outpost (actual village now in Bangladesh) and paid tribute to the 16 BSF jawans killed in 2001 India-Bangladesh border conflict, considered the worst since the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
South Salmara-Mancachar is a new district of Assam, about 290km from Guwahati and close to Garo hills of Meghalaya. South Salmara-Mancachar and Dhubri districts have around 47km of international riverine border with Bangladesh, considered one of the most vulnerable areas.
Sonowal is on a familiarisation trip as he was keen on seeing the situation on the ground following a large number of cases related to cattle smuggling and allegations of unabated infiltration through this route.
He later undertook a 35km trip from Sahapara border outpost to Shisumara border outpost, a riverine area close to Hatsingimari, district headquarters of South Salmara-Mancachar.
Sonowal will take a trip of the riverine area from Shisumara border outpost tomorrow. The area is considered a challenge as intruders and smugglers explore the route to their advantage, which also poses a national security threat.
Owing to floods and erosion, several border outposts have been relocated in the past several years. Along the stretch from Shisumara to Dhubri, the outposts are operating on boats.
Assam BSF DIG K.K. Gulia and Commandant, 57 BSF, Sanjay Sharma, briefed Sonowal at Sahapara outpost in the presence of Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay.
The BSF officials told Sonowal that they have already taken up the issue with the government on several occasions and the force is hoping that Dispur would take serious note of the situation and take immediate steps to check erosion by the Brahmaputra..
The BSF officials briefed the chief minister on various challenges confronting the border area, which included limited strength of personnel, poor infrastructure, lack of dedicated power supply for operation of floodlights.
At present, the floodlights operate on generators for a few hours in the evening. The BSF personnel explained to the chief minister how the riverine route is exploited by cattle smugglers.
When asked, Sonowal said, "I am here to understand the challenges faced by the BSF and get first hand information about the border stretch in these areas." Sonowal will brief the media tomorrow after taking trip of the riverine area.
Speaking to the media, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya said, "We have raised the issue on quality of fencing and border road, which is in a deplorable condition. They (BSF) have admitted and spoken about it. We want the India-Bangladesh border fencing to be on a par with the western border (India-Pakistan border)."
AASU president Dipankar Nath and secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi were also present.
Legislators who accompanied Sonowal included Angoorlata Deka, Pranab Kalita, Ashok Singi, Ashok Singhal, Ramendra Narayan Kalita and Mancachar MLA Motiur Rahman Mondal. Sonowal also met public representatives and civil society members at Hatsingimari circuit house.
