‘Border security can be ensured by bravery, alertness’
*Success being achieved against drones carrying weapons
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today reviewed development works, economic situation and flagship schemes among other issues of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh besides other UTs at a Conference of UTs in New Delhi.
In another function of launching BSF’s mobile application ‘Prahari’, the Home Minister said country’s borders can’t be secured by pillars or fencing, but by the bravery, alertness and patriotism of the soldiers standing on the borders.
Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta and Umang Narula, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor represented Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh respectively at the conference on UTs which among others was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, senior MHA officers dealing with the UT Division and Chief Secretaries and Advisors of all other Union Territories.
“Be it keeping the Union Territories safe or 100 percent implementation of flagship schemes, zero tolerance on corruption, or adopting best practices, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government is leaving no stone unturned in realizing the vision of self-reliant UTs,” Shah said at the meeting. as per an official tweet.
The Home Minister said the conference on Union Territories marks a firm step towards development through ‘cooperation and consultation’.
“To enhance the growth impetus of the Union Territories, the Modi Government has set actionable outcomes and is determined to the phase-wise achievement of the same,” Shah said in another tweet.
Development needs of Jammu and Kashmir, implementation of flagship schemes, progress on ongoing projects in different sectors especially those funded by the Central Government and other requirements of the twin Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh figured at the meeting.
The Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir and the Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh were reported to have given detailed briefing of development scenario at the meeting, the sources said.
Focus of the conference was economic growth, tourism potential and flagship schemes. The aim is to ensure development of the Union Territories in all respects including development works and projects and Centrally Sponsored Schemes besides pace of their work to ensure that they (the schemes) don’t miss timelines.
Meanwhile, while launching a mobile application ‘Prahari’ prepared in-house by the BSF and the manual of the border guarding force in Delhi, Shah also suggested that under the Vibrant Village Programme, the personnel should make efforts for increasing tourism to villages.
Security of the country’s borders cannot be ensured by pillars or fencing, but only by the bravery, patriotism and alertness of the soldiers standing on the border, he said.
The Home Minister said the BSF guards the most difficult border of the country. After former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee conceptualised ‘One Border One Force’, the responsibility of guarding borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh had come to the BSF.
He said the brave soldiers of the BSF are manning these borders with great vigilance, strength and promptness as well as consistent efforts.
Shah said the security of the borders can be ensured only when the border villages are populated. Along with the deployment of soldiers on the borders, only the patriotic citizens living in the village can provide permanent security and all the border guarding forces should strengthen them.
He said in the last three years, 26,000 kg of narcotics and 2,500 arms and ammunition were seized by the BSF. Although the anti-drone technology on the border is still at the experimental stage, it has been successful to a great extent, he said.
The Home Minister said in the last six months, the BSF has shot down 22 drones on the western border, which is a huge achievement. Success is also being achieved against the drones carrying weapons to spread narcotics and terrorism with nefarious intentions, he said.
Shah said a ‘BSF Drone/UAV and Cyber Forensic Lab’ have been set up in Noida, through which captured drones have been thoroughly mapped for their linkages and locations across the border.
He said fencing could not be completed at some places along the International Border due to difficult topography but the BSF has developed in-house technology for electronic surveillance there, cost of which is very low but its efficiency is very high.
He said the BSF personnel have been able to secure the border with continuous vigilance and construction of 140 km of fencing and about 400 km of roads has been completed in difficult places.
Along with this, Shah said, more than 120 Border Out-Pposts have been constructed.
Shah said the app ‘Prahari’ has been created for allotment of houses to the BSF personnel and within two months of its launch, the housing satisfaction ratio has increased by 10 per cent, which is a huge achievement. He said that this is also a great example of proactive governance.
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