On fencing along Indo-Myanmar, Manipur CM meet top officials

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh held an important meeting with Border Roads Organization (BRO) officials and other top state officials on September 24. During the meeting, they discussed plans to extend the fencing along the India-Myanmar border by another 70 km.
The main objective behind this initiative is to combat illegal cross-border immigration and drug trafficking.
Taking to microblogging site X, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, “Held a meeting with BRO officials and discussed plans to start construction of an additional 70 km border fence along the Indo-Myanmar border.
I was accompanied by the Chief Secretary, DGP and officers of the Home Department. With the increase in illegal immigration and drug trafficking from neighboring countries, securing our porous borders has become an urgent necessity.”
The decision comes in response to the growing challenges of illegal immigration and drug smuggling across the India-Myanmar border. The porous nature of the border makes it susceptible to such activities, which require immediate action.
Less than 10 percent of Manipur’s 400-km international border with Myanmar is currently fenced, making the region vulnerable to illegal cross-border activities.
While fencing the entire border is difficult due to the difficult topography, officials believe targeting areas where illegal activity is most prevalent may be a more manageable task.
The issue of border security and illegal immigration came to the fore when Chief Minister Biren Singh urged the central government to “permanently close” the Free Movement Regime (FMR), which allows people on both sides of the border. allows to travel up to 16 km. Country.
The FMR, implemented as part of India’s Act East policy, aims to promote trade, business and free movement between ethnically similar communities in the two countries. However, it inadvertently facilitated illegal activities.
On 23 September, Chief Minister Biren Singh confirmed that the Union Home Minister had approved border fencing activities.
He said that our government’s priority is to stop illegal immigration from Myanmar, so we need to fence the border immediately.
Now Union Home Minister has already given approval and I am told that work order has also been issued to BRO for about 60 km (border fencing activities).