Hyderabad: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today (Oct 17, 2004) said the situation in North-Eastern States was "really alarming" and the problem needed to be handled sternly as ISI (Inter State Intelligence) was training extremists in camps in Bangladesh.

The Tripura Government has suggested various measures to the Centre including sealing off Tripura-Bangladesh border to control the extremists who are being pampered and nurtured by ISI in Bangladesh, the Chief Minister said.

Sarkar said his Government wanted Army to be deployed to deal with extremists in the State, adding, "The Centre had not refused the request, or sent the army".

While replying to a query that the Naxal problem in Andhra Pradesh cannot be equated with the situation in north east, Sarkar said in the north east the problem started many years ago in Nagaland and had now spread to other States in the region.

Sarkar said he had asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to take up the extremist problem with Bangladesh Government for launching a joint operation to demolish hideouts in the neighbouring country.