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  India   Assam: Army to oversee Indo-Bangla border fencing

Assam: Army to oversee Indo-Bangla border fencing

| MANOJ ANAND
Published : Sep 2, 2016, 12:54 am IST
Updated : Sep 2, 2016, 12:54 am IST

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal here on Thursday announced that his government has decided to handover the construction of fencing along the Indo-Bangla border under the active supervision of

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal here on Thursday announced that his government has decided to handover the construction of fencing along the Indo-Bangla border under the active supervision of Indian Army.

Addressing his first press conference after completion of 100 days in the office, Mr Sonowal told reporters, “I have already written a letter to the defence ministry requesting to supervise the construction of fencing along the international border. We are committed to seal the India-Bangladesh border to check the infiltration.”

Pointing out that construction of fencing on Indo-Bangla border was of very inferior quality and not foolproof to check influx, Mr Sonowal said that fencing on India-Pakistan international border was constructed under the supervision of Army.

Admitting that 100-days was not enough for a government to translate its promises into reality, Mr Sonowal said that his biggest challenge was to bring back administrative mechanism of the state in order.

Informing that they have already started moving in a direction to provide good-governance to the people of the state, chief minister said that he was taking imitative to check corruption.

“We have taken a number of initiatives to deliver good governance to the people. But we still have miles to go to achieve our goals,” he said but was evasive on protecting the interest of complainants in the corruption cases.

He said, “We are waiting for amendment in Lokpal bill which is pending before the Rajya Sabha.”

He charted out initiative that his government has taken to check corruption government departments.

Referring that for years, the common people have been hit by corruption and irregularities in the state, Mr Sonowal claimed that a number of corrupt people have already been put behind bars, and that the crusade against corruption would continue in the days to come.

Pointing out that they inherited the state in very poor financial health, chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union petroleum minister for releasing additional royalty amounting to `1,450 crore. He said that the Prime Minister and the Union finance minister have assured him to provide adequate help not only to tide over the crisis but also to implement the promises made in the first budget of the government.

Mr Sonowal reiterated that his government was committed on bring in transparency in all the procurements and tender process. Mr Sonowal also listed the achievements of his government in various field starting from education, to relief and rehabilitation of the flood and erosion hit people of the state.