The Centre has directed Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh governments to “expedite” fencing construction to strengthen the Indo-Myanmar border.

According to a post on X by Manipur BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh on Monday night, the MHA has sent letters to the chief secretary of both the states as well as the director general of the Assam Rifles about “the need to expedite the preparation of DPRs for balance stretches (of the border) in Arunachal Pradesh (480km) and Manipur (243km) on priority to expedite the construction of the fencing for strengthening the Indo-Myanmar border.”

Churachandpur, Chandel, Kamjong, Tengnoupal and Ukhrul are five districts in strife-hit Manipur sharing a 398-km-long border with Myanmar. Besides Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh (520km), Nagaland (215km) and Mizoram (510km) also share a border with Myanmar.

The official letter, which was uploaded by Imo Singh on the X platform, also requested both the state governments “to conduct meeting/discussions/survey with Assam Rifles, Border Road Organisation (BRO) and other concerned department for finalising the locations/alignment of stretches” along the border for construction of fencing.

The letter has requested the Assam Rifles to provide necessary support to the fencing initiative.

Imo Singh said the development was a “major decision taken by the central government” on the fencing issue and that chief minister N. Biren Singh had shared the letter in the Assembly session that concluded on Monday.

“One may not be satisfied with all the measures of the central government to bring peace and normalcy in Manipur, but it has taken up important steps for the welfare of the indigenous people of the state by identifying illegal migrants in the state, removing FMR to stop free movements of people into our country, construct the border fencing to ensure illegal migrants/refugees do not come into our country and transferring few units of paramilitary forces which were becoming a major hurdle towards bringing peace in the state,” Imo Singh said.

Union home minister had on February 6 announced that the Narendra Modi government “is committed to building impenetrable borders” and has decided “to construct a fence” along the entire Myanmar border “to facilitate better surveillance” and “a patrol track along the border will also be paved”.