Manipur CM holds meeting to discuss fencing on stretches of India-Myanmar borders

 IMPHAL: A day after announcing the suspension of the "Free Movement Regime (FMR)" with Myanmar, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday held a meeting with senior officials of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to erect border fencing along the India-Myanmar border in the state. After the meeting, the Chief Minister said that discussions were held to construct an additional 70 km of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.

"In view of the rise in illegal immigration and drugs smuggling from the neighbouring country, safeguarding our porous borders has become an urgent necessity," Biren Singh said on X. Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and senior officials of the Home Department were also present in the meeting. Currently works are going on to erect fencing on the 100 km of India-Myanmar border in Manipur, which shares around 400 km border with the neighbouring country.

Biren Singh on Saturday said that the FMR with Myanmar which allows people on either side to travel up to 16 km inside of both countries is suspended at the moment and that the Centre has been requested to permanently close it. The Manipur Chief Minister on a number of occasions said that Myanmar nationals illegally entering into the state and creating troubles in the state while drug peddlers of that country are directly involved in the illicit trans-border drugs trade. (IANS)

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