97% of International Boundary with Bangladesh "Sealed Off", Says Assam Govt

Guwahati, March 3, 2020:

At a time when the issue of citizenship is raising a hue-and-cry across the nation and the fear of "illegal" migrants from Bangladesh entering Indian after the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has gripped Assam, the Government has claimed that 97% of Assam's vast international boundary with Bangladesh has been sealed off.

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Stating this in the Assam Assembly, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Chandramohan Patowary has said that about 97% of the boundary is sealed. Bangladesh has objected to fencing the 4.35 km stretch in Karimganj district, so advanced technology is being employed there. Assam shares a 262 km border with Bangladesh.

Patowary also said that State government has requested the Centre to relocate people in eight villages that are outside the barbed-wire fence, erected 150 metres from the “no man’s land” or actual boundary line according to international norms. Of those, three villages are in Karimganj and Cachar districts, while two villages are under Dhubri.

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Speaking on the lines of the NRC, Patowary, speaking on behalf of the CM, said that 19.06 lakh people excluded from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be issued “rejection slips” after the “speaking orders” are scanned. Patowary said about 12% of the speaking orders remain to be scanned.

Patowary also informed the Assembly that 4,32,944 cases were registered against suspected foreigners between 1985 and 2019.

After verification and trials, 1,26,998 people were declared foreigners, 1,18,367 were found to be Indians, and 29,890 were deported. At the last count, there were 1,13,738 D-voters in the State, the Minister added.

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