GUWAHATI, Dec 24 � The failure of the concerned State governments to address some key issues like soil erosion, need for deployment of second line of defence, etc, has severely affected border management along the international border with Bangladesh and as a result infiltrators as well as anti-India elements can take advantage of the situation.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has been stressing the need for deployment of a second line of defence for improving border management, but the concerned state governments have not yet been able to make such forces fully operational. A decision to deploy a second line of defence along Assam-Bangladesh border was taken in a tripartite meeting on implementation of Assam Accord way back in 1999, while, again on April 8 last year, a meeting chaired by the Cabinet secretary decided to create such a force.
Official sources said that though border outposts have been sanctioned in Meghalaya, those are manned by only two to three personnel, which is not at all adequate to deal with the problem. The condition is the same in Assam and though 12 BOPs have been sanctioned in the Assam-Meghalaya frontier itself, those do not have adequate strength to make the force fully operational. It may be mentioned here that the sanctioned strength of each BOP is of 30 personnel.
The second major issue, which needs immediate attention, is erosion by the river Brahmaputra. Due to erosion during floods this year, the BSF BOPs in areas like Salapara, Chikochar, Mantrichar etc in Dhubri district had to be shifted to boats, which adversely affected the functioning of the border guarding force. BSF sources said that erosion by the mighty river also damaged border roads and fencing in areas like Kedar, Sisumara and New Dewaner Alga areas of Dhubri district. The BSF has been requesting the civil administration of Dhubri district, Public Works Department as well as the Brahmaputra Board to deal with the problem immediately. Sources said that the issue is of urgent nature and needs immediate attention for saving the national assets.
BSF sources also said that the Unique Identification Number scheme should be introduced first in the border states to help identification of infiltrators. Due to the ethnic similarity between the people living in both sides of the international border, it is always difficult to identify a foreign national if he or she is not caught right on the international border and the BSF has been stressing the need for providing photo identity cards to Indian citizens living near the international border for a long time to deal with the problem.
GUWAHATI, Dec 24 � The failure of the concerned State governments to address some key issues like soil erosion, need for deployment of second line of defence, etc, has severely affected border management along the international border with Bangladesh and as a result infiltrators as well as anti-India elements can take advantage of the situation.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has been stressing the need for deployment of a second line of defence for improving border management, but the concerned state governments have not yet been able to make such forces fully operational. A decision to deploy a second line of defence along Assam-Bangladesh border was taken in a tripartite meeting on implementation of Assam Accord way back in 1999, while, again on April 8 last year, a meeting chaired by the Cabinet secretary decided to create such a force.
Official sources said that though border outposts have been sanctioned in Meghalaya, those are manned by only two to three personnel, which is not at all adequate to deal with the problem. The condition is the same in Assam and though 12 BOPs have been sanctioned in the Assam-Meghalaya frontier itself, those do not have adequate strength to make the force fully operational. It may be mentioned here that the sanctioned strength of each BOP is of 30 personnel.
The second major issue, which needs immediate attention, is erosion by the river Brahmaputra. Due to erosion during floods this year, the BSF BOPs in areas like Salapara, Chikochar, Mantrichar etc in Dhubri district had to be shifted to boats, which adversely affected the functioning of the border guarding force. BSF sources said that erosion by the mighty river also damaged border roads and fencing in areas like Kedar, Sisumara and New Dewaner Alga areas of Dhubri district. The BSF has been requesting the civil administration of Dhubri district, Public Works Department as well as the Brahmaputra Board to deal with the problem immediately. Sources said that the issue is of urgent nature and needs immediate attention for saving the national assets.
BSF sources also said that the Unique Identification Number scheme should be introduced first in the border states to help identification of infiltrators. Due to the ethnic similarity between the people living in both sides of the international border, it is always difficult to identify a foreign national if he or she is not caught right on the international border and the BSF has been stressing the need for providing photo identity cards to Indian citizens living near the international border for a long time to deal with the problem.
