Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought personal intervention of Union Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh to constitute a high level team comprising Secretary Border Management, Home Department, Director General Border Security Force (BSF), Director Intelligence Bureau (IB) and State Police to undertake the exercise, of physically inspecting the condition of the border fencing in Punjab (mainly Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts) and adjoining area of Jammu besides indentifying the vulnerable points and gaps and suggesting the methods to seal the gaps, biannually or as required. In a letter to the Union Home Minister, Badal impressed upon him to accord the top most priority to this exercise to be undertaken by the above mentioned joint team of senior officers/representatives to ensure security of the border and safety of the people residing in its vicinity.
The Chief Minister apprised Rajnath Singh that there have been instances in recent past of fidayeen attacks in Punjab, at Dinanagar on July 27, 2015 and at Pathankot Air Force Base on January 1, 2016. These fidayeen are suspected to have crossed over into India from the international border in Punjab or adjoining area of Jammu and Kashmir. In the last one year there have been several incidents of border crossing in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab due to the difficult terrain in the region despite erection of fencing at most of the border. In recent years BSF and Punjab Police have also seized a sizeable number of consignments of arms and ammunition near the border fencing. There have also been seizures of major quantities of Heroin in this area by the forces pointing towards regular attempts by international smugglers to use this border as the fencing in the riverine area gets damaged during floods leaving gaps along the border.
Keeping in view the above cited circumstances, Mr. Badal reiterated his request to the Union Home Minister for intensifying the vigil on the border by constituting a team of these officers/representatives so as to effectively check the incidents of border crossing especially through physical inspection of vulnerable points and gaps biannually or as and when required.