Tight vigil on India-Bangladesh border: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said the government needs to tighten vigil along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Singh arrived in Guwahati on Saturday to review the overall security situation with the chief ministers of the Northeast states.

Last month, in Manipur, along the Indo-Myanmar border, the NSCN (K) rebels had ambushed soldiers of the Dogra regiment of the Indian army, killing 18 of them.

The Indian government has adopted several measures since then to strengthen security along the entire international border of all northeast states.

The home minister said that the government is taking several steps to stop cross border movement of insurgents and smuggling of weapons and drugs.

Singh said several such agreements have been signed with Bangladesh to prevent circulation of fake currency and human trafficking and to enhance coastal security, which will benefit both countries.

Singh said that nearly 200,000 villagers living within 10 km of India-Myanmar border live at 'the mercy of insurgents without security'.

The situation is similar along the Indo-Bhutan border. The Home Ministry is taking measures for effecting management of border along all international frontiers of the northeastern states.

He also urged all chief ministers to open more police stations in border areas and strengthen those already there.

"We know that the North-east region is full of illegal firearms. Weapons are smuggled from across the border and sold in the region and even beyond. As such, a sustained drive will be launched against illegal weapons with the support of all the state governments. Central government have zero-tolerance policy on insurgency," said Singh.

Singh urged all the chief ministers concerned to provide land for border fencing and expedite land acquisition on urgent basis wherever it is pending.