Counter-insurgency operation yielding results in Meghalaya: Governor

Shillong: Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan today said the counter-insurgency operations were effective and yielded positive results in the state and the government had adopted a strategy to address the root cause of militancy.

"The intensive and sustained counter-insurgency operations carried out by the security forces against insurgent outfits have been effective and are yielding results," Shanmuganathan said while addressing the first day of Budget session of the state Assembly here.

The governor said his government had also adopted a comprehensive strategy to address the root cause of militancy and insurgent activities in the state.

He said 21 civilians and eight securitymen lost their lives and 30 civilians and 16 security personnel were injured in insurgency-related violence in the past one year.

The government had also initiated peace settlements with interested groups of militants and steps were being taken in right earnest for their rehabilitation, he said.

On the situation along the Indo-Bangladesh border, Shanmuganathan said the process of delineating the boundary on the ground was underway following its ratification by Parliament. Meghalaya would retain 241 acres and Bangladesh 41 acres as per the agreement.

On infiltration, he said 41 locations had been identified where facilitation centres would be set up to keep a watch on illegal entry while construction of fences along the border would help check the same.

The governor said the state had also identified an area of 40,000 hectres for organic certification program of which the first year conversion program had almost completed.

Till December last year, 89 lakh mandays of rural employment were generated under the MGNREGA, while 869 new houses were constructed under IAY.

Under PMGSY, Rs 1,078 crore were sanctioned with a target to cover 1,747 km of road length connecting 483 villages, of which 687 km were completed, Shanmuganathan said.

Over 33,600 infirm and 21,095 widows besides 8,477 disabled persons had also benefited from the Social Assistance Scheme of the Chief Minister during the past one year, he said.