SILCHAR, Feb 8 : "With the induction of 29 more battalions, BSF will be equipped with effective teeth to meet any challenge or situation on the frontier of the country", pointed out M L Kumawat, Director General of the Force, while interacting with the media at the Mizoram and Cachar BSF headquarters at Masimpur, 8 km from here, today.
Along with Sashtra Seema Suruksha Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Police and Assam Rifles, BSF was guarding the frontiers of the country. 2.10 lakh personnel in BSF "makes it the largest guarding force in the world", he said.
It was always alert and vigilant along 4,096 km of Bangladesh border on the eastern and Northeastern region. It was also engaged on 235 km of border along line of control.
Speaking about the border management in Barak Valley and Mizoram frontier after visiting the BOPs of Steamerghat, Jagannathi, Lakhibazar, Sutarkandi and Chand Srikona in the district of Karimganj and talking to jawans and the people of the areas, M L Kumawat described the morale of his men as quite high. After the Mumbai mayhem, he added to say BSF "is now more than ever prepared to tackle emergent situation".
Last week, the Union Home Ministry after proper frontier assessment took the decision to recruit 10,000 constables for the Northeast sector.
The recruitment, he clarified, would be made from the inhabitants of border areas for their proper knowledge of the land features and situation.
This would definitely make border management effective and foolproof, he was confident.
The DG further revealed the Union Home Ministry has earmarked Rs 3,000 crore for the modernization of BSF. Sophisticated and sensitive gadgets would be installed in border areas to prevent infiltration and all other cross-border crimes.
In addition to that, it has also been decided to deploy one helicopter in Cachar-Karimganj sector for surveillance. This would help keep close watch on forested and riverine areas.
Kumawat at the same time expressed the hope that with the completion of fencing, floodlighting and other innovative arrangements, the border could be made totally safe. Referring to the problematic Dampa forest area in Mizoram, he said his force was pressing for floodlighting which he expected to be completed in three to four years.
BSF has taken up comprehensive plans to remove the flaws and problems and improvement of things would be given "top priority".
The plan includes creation of 500 more BOPs in addition to 1,400 of them all along the country’s international border. 300 BOPs would be in Northeast which would reduce the gap between two observation posts.
DG M L Kumawat agreed to say that with the change of guards at Dhaka and the coming of Begum Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, both BSF and BDR would be cooperative to appreciate each other’s problems and adopt pragmatic steps for their resolution.
Though he could not give the exact figure about the number of camps of Northeast insurgent groups on Bangladesh soil, however, he expected the new regime would take steps for dismantling their bases or camps.
To the reports on the militant groups being under pressure and their move to shift to other countries like Myanmar and Bhutan, he said "My Force would keep close watch and frustrate any attempt by them to sneak into on this side of the border or cross-over to other countries."
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