Amit Shah reviews security issues at borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Siliguri corridor

Indian home minister Amit Shah addresses the inauguration of five Border Outposts of ‘Sashastra Seema Bal’, at BOP Fatehpur, in Kishanganj on 24 September 2022
ANI

India’s home minister Amit Shah on Saturday reviewed various issues related to security at borders adjoining Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan as well as the Siliguri corridor.

The home minister reviewed the issues while taking a review meeting of India’s all three border guarding forces -- Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) -- at Bihar’ Kishanganj district during his two-day visit to the state.

The meeting was attended by the minister of state for home Nityanand Rai, Director Generals of BSF, SSB, ITBP, and other senior officials of the home ministry, BSF, SSB and ITBP.

Earlier, the home minister visited the Fatehpur Border Out Post (BOP) on the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar and observed pillar no. 151 and 152 and also conducted a review of various activities of the border area with SSB.

Speaking at the programme, Amit Shah said that the SSB has a history and since the policy of one nation and one border security force was adopted by the government of India from the time of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, since then important responsibility of the security of the open borders of Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan has been given to the SSB and this force has fulfilled its responsibility very well.

He said that the open borders need to be guarded more tactfully and carefully and SSB has been successful in preventing any kind of illegal activity by doing this work efficiently.

The minister further said that in such a situation, our communication with the villages, a network of information and our behaviour with villagers through service is important in securing the borders. “That is why the slogan of Service, Security and Brotherhood has been given to the Sashastra Seema Bal with great care.”

“Be it CCTVs or drones, the security of borders should be ensured by adopting a variety of technologies. He said that all the forces should adopt technology by adopting each other’s good practices as technology can become a great medium to secure borders,” Shah said.

He said that the area under SSB is close to the Siliguri corridor which is a very sensitive area for our country.

“We have West Bengal, Sikkim and Assam on one side and on the other side Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. This whole border area is very sensitive and especially in the sensitive corridor like Siliguri you have to act more cautiously while performing your duties.”