Govt spends Rs 110 cr to modernise NE police
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, JAN 3: The Central Government on Sunday informed the Supreme Court that it was spending over Rs 100 crore to modernise police forces in the North-Eastern states and equip them with sophisticated gadgets to check illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis.

In an affidavit before a division bench comprising Chief Justice A S Anand and Justice R C Lahoti, the Government said the money was being provided under a 100 per cent Centrally funded special scheme for modernisation of NE police forces.

"In 1997-98, vehicles, arms and ammunition costing Rs 35.63 crore were provided," the affidavit said. "In 1998-99 items worth Rs 12.48 crore were provided. In the current year it is proposed to provide communication equipment, vehicles, arms and ammunition etc worth Rs. 65 crore to the police forces in the region," the affidavit further said.

A public interest litigation filed by All India Lawyers Forum for Civil Liberties through advocate O P Saxena had sought direction from the court to check illegalmigration of lakhs of Bangladeshis into North-Eastern states which has posed problems to the security and demography of the area.

Additional Solicitor General R N Trivedi said, "A feasibility study for introduction of multi-purpose photo identity cards has been entrusted to Tata Consultancy Services."

The Additional Solicitor General went on to add, "issue of these identity-cards in border villages will be considered by the government once the feasibility study report is available."

The court, however, sought some more details of the proposals listed by the government, and gave it six weeks time to file an additional affidavit.

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