Kolkata/Siliguri: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the govt is committed to making the country’s borders impregnable through the concept of “smart borders” and announced that the project to fortify India’s borders with a quadrangular security grid will first be implemented at the grassroots level in Bengal.In a series of meetings with Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Siliguri on Saturday, Shah asked the forces to strengthen border security by expediting pending fencing work and deploying “triple-layer fencing” in strategic and sensitive areas.At BSF’s Jumagach Border Outpost, the home minister reviewed the deployment of indigenous, state-of-the-art technologies aimed at strengthening border management. He inspected a radio-based fence breach detection system that instantly alerts personnel by broadcasting a prerecorded message whenever the fence is tampered with. He also reviewed an infrared alarm system installed to secure difficult terrain, including areas with rivers and streams and gaps in border fencing. The system provides advance warning to troops whenever infrared beams are interrupted. A new gate management system designed to facilitate safe and smooth movement of civilians and farmers along the India-Bangladesh border was also displayed.Shah virtually laid the foundation stone for three BSF projects worth Rs 47 crore and laid the foundation stone for the construction of a 4-km-long border fence at the cost of Rs 30 crore on land newly acquired for two outposts in Bengal. The home minister was accompanied by Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari.Later, at a meeting on border security issues at Uttarkanya, Shah asked BSF to speed up the fencing work and use modern machinery, if necessary, for the purpose. The Bengal govt has already handed over around 1,025 acres covering 172.6 km across nine districts to BSF along the porous border. However, BSF, SSB and ITBP have flagged the need for more land for infrastructure expansion in Chicken’s Neck area, sources said.The strategically important Siliguri corridor, commonly called ‘Chicken’s Neck’, is a narrow strip about 17-22 km wide that forms the only land link between mainland India and the eight northeastern states. It is surrounded by Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.The meeting in Uttarkanya was also attended by DGP Siddhinath Gupta, BSF DG Praveen Kumar, IG North Bengal Sukesh Jain and other senior officials.Sources said it was decided that BSF and police will jointly clear illegal encroachments and prevent illegal gatherings in border areas. Local police will assist BSF in interacting with local residents to curb border-related crimes and smuggling. The state administration will also hold regular coordination and review meetings with all central agencies.
