Meghalaya seeks more forces along Bangladesh border

Concerned over the unabated movement of insurgents along the porous Indo-Bangla border, Meghalaya government has sought more forces along the international border and strengthening of the anti-infiltration check posts in the state.

The demands were raised by Meghalaya home minister HDR Lyngdoh during his meeting with Union home minister P Chidambaram at New Delhi yesterday, official sources today said.

Lyngdoh is understood to have cited the recent intrusion of five top NDFB militants into Meghalaya from Bangladesh before they were caught by Meghalaya police.

He underlined the need to deploy more forces as the present strength of BSF was not adequate to check the cross-border movement, the sources said.

The Meghalaya home minister also sought assistance from the Centre in strengthening the anti-infiltration posts in the state, some of which have been virtually defunct due to shortage of manpower.

The state home minister also apprised the Centre of the situation in the ethnic-violence hit Assam-Meghalaya border areas.

Chidambaram is learnt to have expressed happiness over the manner in which Meghalaya handled the riots.

The Meghalaya government informed the Centre that efforts were on to rehabilitate the displaced families and that the administration has begun distributing compensation to the refugees.