SHILLONG, Dec 1 � BSF today said it has began raising an additional battalion to man the riverine Bangladesh border in Assam to check illegal movement across the international line.
The raising the of the new battalion to guard the riverine Bangladesh border has begun from today, BSF Inspector General (Assam-Meghalaya) R C Saxena said at a media briefing on the occasion of the force�s Raising Day.
Currently there are 12 battalions in the Assam-Meghalaya Frontier, manning the porous Indo-Bangladesh border and some also deployed in anti-insurgency operations in Assam.
�It is difficult to manage the riverine border in Assam. The men are operating in boats, but the gaps have to be plugged,� the BSF IG said.
According to the BSF sources, at least four Border Observation Posts (BOPs) of the BSF along the international border with Bangladesh in Assam are operating from boats.
�Due to spate in the Brahmaputra river, massive soil erosion has been taking place in the char areas and banks of the Brahmaputra river,� the sources said.
Due to soil erosion the BOPs located at Salapara, Chokichar, Oda and Mantrichar have been shifted to boats this year.
�The situation is more acute on the banks where soil erosion is damaging border roads and fencing especially in Kedar, Sishumara and New Dewaner Alga area of Dhubri district in Assam,� he said.
The BSF has taken up the case with civil administration of Dhubri district, Assam PWD as well as Brahmaputra Flood Control Board.
Of the total sanctioned length of border fencing of 90 km in Assam, 73 km has been completed while work is in progress in another 8 km, he said.
In Meghalaya, of the total 481 km sanctioned length, 176 km has been completed and work is in progress in 114 km.
Meanwhile, two insurgents today surrendered to BSF at the frontier headquarters here with arms and ammunition.
Karbi Longri National Liberation Front �sergeant major� Kemson Phangcho, surrendered with a 9mm pistol, one magazine and some live rounds.
Self-styled ULFA �corporal� Doleshwar Gogoi of Golaghat surrendered with a .32 pistol and six rounds. According to a BSF statement 56 militants were held along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam and Meghalaya border this year, while three others surrendered.
Altogether 289 infiltrators were also caught this year. Seizure of fake currency of the face value of Rs 2.92 lakh were made from 10 racketeers. Contraband items worth Rs 5 crore was also seized. � PTI
