SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured on Friday that India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, including the sensitive Kashmir region, will achieve complete security within the next two years.
Following his inspection of a ceremonial parade marking the 59th Raising Day of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Hazaribag, Shah underscored the ongoing efforts to fortify approximately 60 km of borders with these two neighbouring nations.
Shah noted that over the past nine years of the Narendra Modi Government, around 560 km of the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders have been fenced and vulnerabilities addressed, previously exploited for infiltration and smuggling. The remaining 60 km of susceptible areas will be fortified in the next two years, ensuring comprehensive security.
The India-Pakistan International Border spans 2,290 km, while the India-Bangladesh border extends over 4,096 km, encompassing challenging terrains. Fencing such areas is intricate, prompting the use of technical gadgets by the BSF and other agencies to monitor and control infiltration.
In a 22-minute address at the ‘Meru’ training camp, Shah highlighted the pivotal role of the approximately 2.65 lakh BSF personnel in the nation’s development. He asserted, “I firmly believe that a country cannot develop and prosper if its borders are not secure.”
Acknowledging the multifaceted approach to border security, Shah praised the integrated efforts initiated by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Modi Government. This holistic strategy combines security measures, developmental initiatives, democratic processes, and robust infrastructure, including welfare measures for the local population in border areas.
Shah outlined various accomplishments in border infrastructure development, including floodlight installations along 11,000 km of the border, establishment of 452 new border posts, construction of observation towers, provision of electricity to border posts, and ensuring water supply to 500 facilities along the borders.
Addressing Left Wing Extremism (LWE), Shah expressed confidence in near-eradication, stating, “In the last ten years of the Modi Government, we have been able to win the battle in the hotspots of Jammu and Kashmir, LWE, and insurgency in the northeast.” He highlighted ongoing operations against LWE by forces like the BSF, CRPF, and ITBP, emphasizing the government’s determination to eliminate Naxalism. Shah concluded by urging a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against narcotics and emphasized stringent measures to combat drug trafficking, stating, “I exhort the BSF and other security agencies to have a policy of zero tolerance against the menace of narcotics and take stringent steps to curb its trafficking.”