BSF control room to monitor border issues from Dispur: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 15: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the Border Security Force (BSF) to set up a Control Room at Dispur to monitor the Indo-Bangladesh border area activities from the state capital. Chief Minister Sonowal directed this while taking part in a high-level review meeting to discuss about the progress of border fencing works, infiltration and other security related border issues which was held at the Brahmaputra State Guest House in Guwahati today.

While taking part in the discussion, Chief Minister Sonowal expressed the view that the control room equipped with modern technology would be very helpful in monitoring of border fencing works, infiltration and other border issues from Guwahati itself and it would also remove all other bottlenecks. He also said that the control room would be a better platform to formulate mechanism to ensure security at the 135 km Mizoram-Cachar frontier areas of Karimganj and Cachar district and the 147 km Assam-Dhubri sector, besides providing adequate inputs to the State Government on border issues. Moreover, he stressed that the control room would facilitate checking of illegal trading of cattle through riverine areas of Dhubri border.

The BSF officials informed the Chief Minister that as per direction from the Union Home Ministry, they have already adopted modern technology for border security including tackling infiltration through the 61 km riverine areas of Dhubri border. They informed that the entire process would be completed within September 30 this year. They also informed the Chief Minister that the Border Security Force would strengthen its monitoring using advance technology like radar, electro optic sensor, fixed camera, aquatic sensor etc., apart from floating platform, underwater sensor and drone services. They further said that once information is received about any infiltration or other untoward activity, the Quick Reaction Team would be pressed into service immediately for necessary action.

The BSF officials also informed the Chief Minister that several significant steps have been adopted to deal with smuggling of cattle through border. As a result of joint initiatives by the State Government and the BSF, cattle stumbling through border has significantly gone down, they informed. While 39,558 cattle were seized during 2016 and 16593 during 2017, only 1051 cattle were seized upto July this year and this showed that illegal trading was on the downward turn, they said. The BSF officials also informed the CM that the 3.22 km pilot project for smart fencing at the border has already been completed.

Media Advisor to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami, legal advisor to the Chief Minister Santanu Bharali, Chief Secretary TY Das, DGP Kuladhar Saikia, senior officials of State Government, senior BSF officials, NBCC and CPWD officials were also present in the meeting.