Rajnath Singh pledges to seal Indo-Bangla porous border in Assam by 2016

New Delhi: Expressing deep concern over the fact that the Indo-Bangla border in Assam was porous, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the boundary would be completely sealed by 2016. Rajnath Singh was on a two-day visit to the border state of Assam.

Speaking to media after visiting Karimganj sector of the India-Bangladesh border in Assam, he said the border should have been sealed long ago.

It might be mentioned that in August last year, Rajnath Singh attended a seminar conducted by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) in New Delhi on the implementation of the Assam Accord where he assured of visiting the border.

Rajnath Singh is also slated to visit Karimganj and address a rally today. He is scheduled to meet prominent intellectuals of the state at the Brahmaputra State Guest House in Guwahati in the evening.

His itinerary also includes a visit to Dhubri sector in the India-Bangladesh border with the AASU delegation. He will also address a public rally in the border district.

"The minister had expressed his desire for a joint visit of the international border during a seminar organised by us in New Delhi last year. Today, he has come to visit. We have showed him the open international border in Karimganj district. The union home minister has assured that the border would be sealed within this year," said AASU president Dipank Nath.

"The home minister has also informed us that the issues which have affected the sealing of the border in Karimganj district since November last year, have been taken up with Bangladesh government and sorted out amicably," an elated Dipank Nath told newsmen.

Singh was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal, Bharatiya Janata Party local leaders and an entourage of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), including its chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya, president Dipank Nath and general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi .(inputs from agencies)