By IANS,
Agartala : The security situation in northeast India is now much better compared to three years back, union Home Secretary R.K. Singh said here Monday.
“Most militant groups in the northeast region have given up violence. Several terrorist outfits are now following suspension of operations in consultation with the government,” he told reporters here.
R.K. Singh said the home ministry has directed all its paramilitary forces to take stern action against those separatist outfits who are extorting money from the people and are active in other illegal activities.
“After erection of border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, the cross-border movement of militants would be checked and the security situation would be further improved.”
There are some 30 rebel groups operating in the region after setting up their respective bases in Bangladesh, with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy and the right to self-determination.
Accompanied by his Bangladesh counterpart C.Q.K. Mustaq Ahmed and senior officials of both the countries, the Indian home secretary was here to review progress of works of the under-construction Integerated Check Post (ICP) at Akhaurah border, near Tripura capital Agartala.
The then Home Minister P. Chidambaram had laid the foundation stone of the ICP in May last year to boost trade with Bangladesh and facilitate trans-border passenger traffic.
The estimated cost of Akhaurah ICP project, fourth in the series, is Rs.73.50 crore and the project is likely to be completed by March next year. The check post is just two km west of Agartala city.
The Akhaurah check post is one of the most important international trading land ports in eastern India, after the Petrapole check post in West Bengal, with an average of 200 Bangladeshi trucks loaded with goods for export coming to Tripura every day.
The ICPs are envisaged to overcome the infrastructural bottlenecks at the various entry and exit points on the land borders of India.
India has taken up an ambitious project of setting up 13 internationally standard ICPs along India’s border with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal. The central government has taken up the project as part of an 11th Plan scheme with an initial outlay of Rs.635 crore.