Five Indian states, including West Bengal, that share borders with Bangladesh will beef up vigilance at frontiers 24 hours before the Jan 5 elections.
Union home secretary Anil Goswami took stock of border security during a three-hour meeting with chief minister Mamata Banerjee and senior state officials and the additional director general of BSF at Nabanna on Tuesday, Times of India reported.
The continuing violence in the run-up to the elections has prompted Delhi to take up the security issues with stakeholders — states and the BSF — it reports.
The ADG (BSF) in his report to the Union home secretary said that of the 2,216-km border that Bengal shares with Bangladesh, the 345-km riverine border in the Sunderbans remained vulnerable in the absence of any fencing.
The report says 70 percent of the land border is fenced.
The state and the BSF have been asked to increase patrol in the riverine belt and check all houses there.
The state has asked for Rs 1380 million central funds to beef up security along the Sunderbans border.
It has proposed to set up a radar centre to improve monitoring and arrange police training for local fishermen so that they can defend themselves against incursions from the Bangladesh side.
“We discussed the law and order situation, among several things. The state has asked for funds. It will give specific proposals,” Union home secretary Goswami was quoted as saying after the meeting with Mamata. – bdnews24.com
