The Meghalaya Government is committed to complete the fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border in an expeditious manner, Governor SS Sidhu said.

Fencing along the Indo-Bangla border is expected to help in restricting illegal influx of Bangladeshis into the country, he said in his address on the first day of the State’s Budget Session, the first sitting of the newly-sworn-in Donkupar Roy-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance Ministry.

“The Government has sanctioned funds for setting up a Border Management Institute, to be located at Baghmara, which will provide training to police personnel engaged in the task of preventing infiltration,” he said.

In his 32-page speech, Sidhu also asserted that the anti-insurgency operations in the State would continue and the government will work for modernisation of the police force.

Sidhu said in the preceding year, successful police operations were conducted against militant outfits which will be continued.

On the economic front, the Governor said there was a direct relationship between peace and development, and “it is expected that the stable law and order prevailing in the State will result in enhanced economic activities both in the private and public sector.”

“To accelerate the State’s development and economic activities, focused and well-directed investment and employment promotion policies coupled with a better framework of implementation, grass-root participation in plans and programmes and enhanced absorptive capacities across sectors are required,” he said.

The State Government will also stress for human development through extensive health care, provision of educational avenues, improvement of environment, alleviation of poverty, he said.

The Governor said funds from the Planning Commission, Ministry of DONER, NEC and other Ministries will have to be leveraged to greater degree to address the resource limitations.

“The education policy, sports policy, mining policy and revised industrial policy are at draft stage and are likely to be finalised shortly,” he said.

“Further, various sectoral masterplans such as in roads, tourism, power, besides perspective district integrated plans under National Agriculture Development Programme and district block plans under Border Areas Development Programme are also envisaged,” the Governor said.

On the IT sector, Sidhu said, the State Government would be expanding and consolidating IT facilities like the GIS laboratory and IT Park.

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