Imphal: Nearly 55 km of Manipur’s 398-km international border with Myanmar has been fenced, with the state government aiming to complete the remaining work by 2028, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam told the Assembly on Wednesday.
Konthoujam made the statement while responding to a calling attention motion moved by Congress MLA K Ranjit Singh over reports of a proposed “land swap” between India and Myanmar.
The minister said border fencing was being taken up as a security measure, while efforts were also underway to demarcate sections of the international boundary that remain unmarked.
According to Konthoujam, the 398-km stretch between border pillars 32 and 130 includes around 55 km that has already been fenced. He attributed delays in the ongoing work to difficulties in transporting construction materials.
The minister identified the stretch between border pillars 75 and 79 in the Moreh sector as one of the most sensitive areas along the border.
Responding to concerns over the reported land-swap proposal, Konthoujam said the state government had received no communication from the Ministry of External Affairs regarding any such arrangement.
He said the people of Manipur remained opposed to any move involving the loss of territory and maintained that their concerns would be pursued by the state government. He added that people living in affected areas would be informed by the Centre before any decision was taken.
Konthoujam also pointed to the security challenges posed by the porous international border, citing the alleged proliferation of arms, drugs and illegal immigration as continuing concerns for the state.
The government’s push to complete border fencing by 2028 comes amid efforts to strengthen security along the India-Myanmar boundary and address longstanding concerns over the movement of people and illicit activities across the unfenced stretches.
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