AGARTALA, June 28 (TIWN): After the MHA Border Secretary Susheel Kumar visited South Tripura Dist. and held meeting with South DM, the border fencing work to get momentum finally.

Talking to South DM Chandrakumar Jamatia over phone, he said that ‘The unfenced borders need to be cover with border soon, as order has come to complete the incomplete  work’. Asking about the meeting decisions he said, ‘The MHA Border secretary held talk regarding various issues, including fencing works too’.

 ‘The South Tripura administration will take care of the issue and will try to seal Indo-Bangla border soon’, said DM.

Reportedly, MHA official has expressed dissatisfaction over the fencing work, border security arrangement etc. at South District. Although the development of border areas has been a matter of concern for the country, but the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) is in poor shape in South Tripura.

 Regarding all these issues, the MHA Border Management Secretary Susheel Kumar has inspected the Indo-Bangla border status at South Tripura, and held meeting with the District Magistrate Chandrakumar Jamatia.

But during the meeting held at Circuit house question raised regarding the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) and Susheel Kumar said that the status of border under BADP is not at all satisfactory.

South Tripura’s border issues remained yet remained unsolved, even after the central Govt. officials continuous arrival into the state. Among all the Districts the South Tripura District is presently undergoing crucial periods due to its 16 Km (15.929 km) unfenced border areas.  South SP Bhanupada Chakraborty said that whereas the total area of Tripura’s Southern Indo-Bangla border is 204.438 km, the fencing has been done on 188.509 km. and more 16 km need to be fenced.

There are also incomplete border-roads in Southern Tripura, which has been recognized with 30 km area, Among the incomplete border roads at South Tripura 4 km belongs to Belonia and 26 km belongs to Sabroom. Border roads, BOP (Border Outposts) are equally important as border-fencing is important for security.

MHA Border Management Secretary Susheel Kumar has reportedly stressed the issues and also inspected at Indo-Bangla border areas under South Tripura after he completed his meeting with the District Magistrate Chandrakumar Jamatia.

BADP status found by Susheel Kumar was not satisfactory as the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was launched to cover the border blocks of the 17 States (including 8 North Eastern States), which have international land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The development of border areas is now viewed as a part of the comprehensive approach to the Border Management, which focuses on socio-economic development of the people and promotion of well being and a security environment in the border areas. 

The BADP is being implemented by the Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs through the State Governments and Tripura’s number was 14 in BADP scheme. But the status of Tripura has been found not at all satisfactory during Susheel Kumar’s visit.

Moreover, sources said that Shusheel Kumar also raised question why so many market stalls have been setup in the name of BADP Project under South Tripura? He further directed not to setup this type of Market stalls again in current financial year and to develop other infrastructures.