HYC demands creation of separate battalion for directorate of infiltration

The demand also came after a delegation of the HYC met the director of the DoI, O Passi and other officials here on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, president of the HYC Robertjune Kharjahrin said in the light of the recent attacks by Bangladeshi nationals on villagers at the international border, the delegation has enquired as to where the DoI is lacking as it has also been tasked to prevent infiltration.

According to him, DoI has been mandated to collect intelligence from all possible quarters including headman and other village officials about infiltrators.

He informed that it was learnt that one of the main problems faced by the directorate is due to shortage of manpower adding that the same manpower from the district police are being deployed in the directorate.

“Although over 3,000 foreigners have been detected and pushed back as per records of the directorate, we however felt that its performance is still not up to the mark. We want to see that the directorate should do its best irrespective of the shortcomings,”

Kharjahrin said that the HYC has decided to soon meet the home minister James K Sangma for his intervention into the matter.

“During our meeting with him (HM), we would demand the state government to first segregate the district police and the directorate and to consider creating a separate battalion for the directorate,” he said.

The HYC leader also suggested that in the meantime, the government can also engage the Special Force 10 to conduct a regular joint patrolling with the BSF in the border.

Asserting the need for the state government to start building up resources to ensure safety and security of the state and its citizens, Kharjahrin also reminded that Meghalaya is a state which is demanding implementation of the ILP to check influx and illegal immigration.

“In view of this, the government has to understand that strengthening the directorate of infiltration is of utmost important as it will help the state ready for implementing the ILP in letter and spirit,” he said.

The directorate is also tasked to check all pedestrains and vehicles for presence of foreigners entering the area without valid documents, to detect and push them back to the international borders if such foreigners are detected within 10 kms of the international borders.

Those detected beyond 10 kms of the international borders are to be prosecuted under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946 through police stations.

Moreover, the directorate is also entrusted to undertake enumeration of all the inhabitants residing in border villages.