Fencing to be over by December: Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the BJP-led coalition government, with the help of the Centre, has been able to check infiltration and crimes along the India-Bangladesh border.

The Sonowal government, in which regional parties — the Asom Gana Parishad and the Bodoland People’s Front — are allies, completed two years in power on Wednesday.

The run-up to the anniversary coincided with protests against the Centre’s bid to push the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the final stage of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) aimed at weeding out illegal migrants.

“Work on fencing the 62-km border with Bangladesh is progressing fast and is expected to be over by December this year. Smart fencing (with gadgets such as electronic eye) on the land border and technical barriers (floating detection devices) on riverine stretches have come up,” Mr. Sonowal said.