UKHRUL, April 10: Phungyar MLA Leishiyo Keishing has urged the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Defence, Sanjay Seth, to establish additional Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along the Indo-Myanmar border and proposed the development of a model town at K. Ashang Khullen in Kamjong district. The proposal aims to improve local living conditions and strengthen border infrastructure in the region. The Minister was on a two-day visit to Kamjong, a remote district sharing a 120-kilometre international border with Myanmar.

Kamjong spans 2,400 sq km and is home to 126 villages with a total population of 45,616. Despite the construction of the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Road just 5 km from the border, the Indian side still lacks adequate road connectivity, Keishing pointed out in his memorandum. He emphasized the need for improved infrastructure to not only facilitate local mobility but also strengthen border surveillance and national security.

The memorandum also advocates for the establishment of additional ICPs, citing a stark disparity in border facilities. While the Indo-Myanmar border has only two ICPs, the Indo-Bangladesh border has 24, despite their similar lengths. Keishing also proposed the development of a model town at K Ashang Khullen in Kamjong to uplift living conditions in the border region.

The memorandum highlights that Kamjong’s 54 villages, spaced 5 to 10 km apart, lack basic urban infrastructure. The district headquarters itself is a modest village with approximately 800 households.

MLA Keishing concluded the memorandum by expressing faith in Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and his commitment to protecting the interests and welfare of Manipur’s indigenous communities.