STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The AASU (All Assam Students' Union) is worried over a few porous stretches along the Indo-Bangla border in the Assam sector due to the sparsely manned 'second line of defence' and the lack of floodlights at some places.
Talking to The Sentinel today, AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said, "None of the successive governments at Dispur heeded to the demand for strengthening the second line of defence along the Indo-Bangla border in the Assam sector.
"The first line of defence along the Bangladesh border comprises the BSF. The second line of defence has personnel from the state police. The second line of defence can check the infiltrators who manage to cross the first line. This line of defence is indispensable insofar as infiltration into Assam from Bangladesh is concerned. However, the reality remains that neither Dispur nor New Delhi is prompt enough to strengthen the second line of defence. We want Dispur and New Delhi to make the second line of defence stronger without further delay.
"We raised the second line of defence at the last meeting of the sub-committee on Assam Accord Implementation. Three government representatives took part in the meeting. We will raise this issue in the next meeting of the sub-committee again."
On floodlights along the Indo-Bangla border, the AASU president said, "Floodlights along the Bangladesh border are essential as they make infiltrators entering Assam from the other side visible at night. However, at some stretches along the border, floodlights are not working.
"A few stretches of the Bangladesh border do not have power connection. The authority uses generator sets to illuminate such areas. The problem lies in the fact that they do not switch on generators sets throughout the night. It makes the situation favourable for infiltrators. This practice renders the purpose of floodlights meaningless. The Centre needs to sort out this problem."
The Assam sector of the Indo-Bangla border is 263 km.
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