Rajnath singh calls for ‘zero infiltration’ along international border

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh stressed the need for educed or zero infiltration at a review meeting where he took stock of the functioning of Border Security Force (BSF) and discuss and expedite pending issues related to border management and infrastructure development.

According to sources Home Minister stressed that all out efforts should be made by BSF and other secutity forces to ensure reduced or zero infiltration especially along the Pakistan border and enhanced intelligence gathering have been identified as two chief aspects of the functioning of the BSF to ensure “reduced or zero infiltration” along the international border.

Top BSF officials informed the meeting that the recommendation of the Committee of Chiefs of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for grant of risk and hardship allowance to BSF personnel has been finalized and will be submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shortly.

The meeting also reviewed the overall functioning of the BSF and deliberated on modalities to plug the lapses on border vigilance both along the borders with Pakistan in north and west and along Bangladesh in the east.

A high-powered committee has recently suggested that the BSF and other security forces including state police deployed along the Line of Control and border areas should use water sensors in the riverine areas and also install electronic sensors Of the 3,323-km-long Indian-Pakistan border, 1,225 km falls in Jammu and Kashmir (most being the the Line of Control guarded by the army), 553 km in Punjab, 1,037 km in Rajasthan and 508 km in Gujarat.

On the India-Bangladesh border, the Minister sought adequate steps from the BSF and other agencies to ensure that smuggling of cattle and narcotics is stopped.