BSF DG visits Barak Valley

SILCHAR, Feb 13 : Director General of Border Security Force, ML Kumawat recently visited Barak valley to monitor and assess the ongoing arrangement in the Indo-Bangla border areas.

He visited areas like, BOPs (Border outposts) of Steamerhat, Jagannath, Lakhibazar, Sutarkandi and Chand Srikona in Karimganj district. After the visit, a press conference was organised in the headquarter of Mizoram and Cachar BSF at Masimpur, 8 kilometre from the city.

Kumawat said that talking to the jawans in the Karimganj district and the local people in the areas, he found that there is no problem in those areas as such. After the Mumbai incident, the BSF has become more conscious to tackle any emergent situation. The jawans are on high alert and vigilant along the over 4000 km of Bangladesh border along the eastern and northeastern region.

Kumawat said that BSF is the largest guarding force in the world. Along with the SSB force, the Indo-Tibetan Border police (TBP) and Assam Rifles, the BSF guard the frontiers of the country with 2.10 lakh personnel. Recently, the Union Home Ministry after proper assessment took the decision to recruit 10,000 constables for the North eastern sector.

In the meet, it was also revealed that the Union Home Ministry has allotted Rs 3000 crore for the modernisation of BSF. The find will be utilised in installing sophisticated and sensitive gadgets in the border areas to prevent cross-border terrorism and infiltration.

The Director General further said that there is plan to deploy helicopter in Cachar and Karimganj sector for surveillance. This would be helpful in keeping a close watch in the forest areas and rivers. Kumawat also said that with the completion of fencing, floodlighting and other innovative arrangement, the borders would be safer.

He said that some plans have been taken to improve security and surveillance. The plans include creation of 500 more BOPs in addition to 1,400 of them all along the country’s international border. Three hundred BOPs would be in North East which could reduce the gap between two observation posts.