New Delhi: Displaying its seriousness to act on Dhaka's perception that 39 anti-Bangladesh camps existed in India, the Government has launched an exercise to verify the claims.

The Government has entrusted the intelligence agencies and other services the task of getting the claims verified through their sources and on-the-spot visits, official sources said.

A note was circulated to these agencies recently in this regard asking them to report whether any such camps existed anywhere in the States identified so that appropriate action could be taken, they said.

Bangladesh had raised the issue during the bi-annual Director General-level meeting of BSF (Border Security Force) and Bangladesh Rifles last month.

The Bangladeshi side had handed over the list of 39 camps, which it believed were operating in West Bengal, Tripura and some other Northeastern States.

Security sources said that the task was very difficult as the BDR list did not contain "specific locations" of such camps but only cited in a "vague and general manner" certain areas where they believe these exist.

"In the absence of information about specific locations, we have to virtually comb large areas, which is a cumbersome job. But to satisfy Bangladesh, we will carry out the work," they said.

Bangladesh has alleged that the camps were being run by separatist groups like Shanti Vahini, Banga Sena and Vir Bango, which were spreading communal hatred at home, posing a threat to their national security.

Security sources said that these outfits no longer existed. "Even if they exist in some form, they are not active," they said.

Earlier, Bangladesh had handed over a list of 34 separatist camps, alleging these were based in India.

"The claims were got checked and found incorrect as none of such camps were found anywhere in the areas cited, again in general form," the sources said.

Even when Bangladesh Rifles Director General Maj Gen Mohd Jahangir Alam Choudhary raised the issue at the last meeting, BSF Chief Ajai Raj Sharma asserted that India had no reason to "allow or shield any camps directed against any country", they pointed out.

Interestingly, the BDR chief, prior to the meeting, had stated that he had a list of 90 camps, which he would hand over to the Indian side for action. But finally he handed over a list of only 39 such alleged camps.

Meanwhile, New Delhi is waiting for a response from Dhaka to its assertion that more than 190 anti-India camps were being run by Northeast insurgents in that country.

Bangladesh, at last month's meeting, had been asked to shut down these camps.

India had also handed over a list of 100 prominent insurgents at present based in that country, seeking their deportation.