Security plan for N-E soon

AGARTALA, APRIL 4: A special meeting will shortly be convened by the Union Home Ministry to work out a co-ordinated security action plan for...

AGARTALA, APRIL 4: A special meeting will shortly be convened by the Union Home Ministry to work out a co-ordinated security action plan for the North-Eastern region.

This was communicated by Union Home Minister L K Advani to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in New Delhi yesterday, said a senior official. Speaking to newspersons here today, the official added that the chief minister had called on Advani to discuss the law and order situation in the State.

According to the official, Advani assured Sarkar that he would provide full support in terms of materials and funds for counter-insurgency work in the State. While cautioning against the misuse of the laws for preventive detention, Advani also stressed that the laws should be used against the insurgents, said the official.

Advani is reported to have informed Sarkar that the Union Home Ministry had already issued orders for restoring the level of deployment of security forces in the State to that at the time of the elections. According totheofficial, Advani also promised to take up the issue of deployment of more Army units with Defence Minister George Fernandes.

Sarkar was accompanied by former Tripura Home minister and present parliamentarian Samar Chowdhury and Chief Secretary V Thulasidas. Sarkar is also reported to have held a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The Prime Minister assured Sarkar that the Centre would take all necessary steps to strengthen security in the State besides modernising the State Police Force, said the official.

The Chief Minister requested that construction of border roads and border fencing be taken up and completed on a priority basis. He also requested Vajpayee to take effective action for closing down extremist camps across the international border.

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Sarkar stressed the need for approaching insurgency as a socio-economic and political problem rather than a mere security one. He also requested the Prime Minister for liberal central assistance for development of these areas for creationof adequate employment and self-employment opportunities.

Sarkar also met President K R Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday and exchanged views on the present situation in the State.

KOHIMA: Defence Minister George Fernandes today said that he was ready to hold talks with the underground leaders in the North-Eastern states without any pre-condition, and appealed to them to lay down arms to bring about peace in the troubled region.

He also called upon the Army and para-military jawans to look upon the misguided youths8217; with understanding. 8220;They are our children. The security forces should also realise this in dealing with them,8221; he said. He was addressing the jawans here at the Assam Rifles parade ground and earlier at Imphal.