GUWAHATI, Oct 20 � The Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, accompanied by senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF), today visited a number of posts of the border guarding force in Dhubri district to assess the situation on the ground. This is his first visit after assuming office as Union Home Minister.
BSF sources told The Assam Tribune that the Union Home Minister was briefed about the activities of the border guarding force at a meeting at the Panbari camp of the force. After the briefing, the Home Minister was taken to the base of the water wing of the BSF in Dhubri and he travelled on speed boat to see the riverine international border. Dhubri district has around 47 kilometres of international riverine border with Bangladesh, which is considered one of the most vulnerable.
Sources said that after travelling by speed boat, the Union Home Minister landed in the Sisumara border outpost of the BOP on the other side of the river Brahmaputra where he was briefed by officers of the force. He then travelled to Mankachar BOP to interact with the BSF officials. Shinde also saw a number of other BOPs on the way but as his trip was running behind schedule, he could not interact with the troops posted in those BOPs.
Sources said that it was a familiarization trip of the Home Minister as he was keen on seeing the situation on the ground following allegations of unabated infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals to India.
