Lens on Northeast banks, fuel pumps over ultras’ cash

Guwahati: The unified command of security forces has directed all banks and petrol pump owners in the frontier states of Northeast to refrain from accepting cash deposits of old currencies without confirming its sources.

Warning that action may be taken under the provisions of Section 17 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against the bank officials found guilty, the unified command has also asked Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland to direct all the banks to ensure that old currencies stashed with militant outfits are not deposited in the banks or exchanged.

Informing that the meeting of the unified command, chaired by Assam chief secretary V.P. Pipersenia, took stock of the situation, security sources present in the meeting told this newspaper that the security agencies were worried about the ongoing attempts of separatist outfits to exchange old currencies.

Indicating that militant outfits have old currencies stashed in huge quantity, security sources said that the unified command also decided to intensify counter-insurgency operations in frontier states.  The command expressed concerns over the free movement of ultras in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.