Amit Shah in Kathua, says e-surveillance to check infiltration along Pak border

Amid the recent spike in infiltration bids and consequent terror attacks across Jammu region, Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday said that India would soon install a special electronic surveillance project along the Pakistan border and then extend it to the Bangladesh border to check intrusion and detect trans-border tunnels.

Addressing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at Vinay post along the Pakistan border in Kathua’s Hiranagar sector, Shah said, “We want to raise a special surveillance system and two models have been prepared. After they get installed on the border, you (BSF men) will detect enemy activities in real time and in turn would be able to respond quickly.”

“For this purpose, several experiments have been conducted and some of them were seen here today. We have also installed floodlights on high-watch towers for convenience of our BSF troops. Today, we inaugurated barracks for them,” he said.

The home minister hoped in the next three to four years, the entire border with Pakistan would be covered with teh special technical surveillance system and then it will be extended to the Bangladesh border.

India has a 3,323-km long border with Pakistan, of which Jammu and Kashmir shares a 744-km Line of Control and around 200 km of international border.

“As the first line of defence, the BSF guards the nation’s frontiers 24x7x365 braving harsh winter, heavy rain and above 45 degrees Celsius temperaturs and you can’t afford to be complacent. It is not allowed. Wherever you are posted, you remain alert and your eyes are glued to enemy for detecting their mischievous activities,” he said.

Shah recalled how the BSF stood shoulder to shoulder with the army in all wars with Pakistan and gave supreme sacrifices in the line of duty.

Shah, who is on a three-day tour to Jammu and Kashmir, paid tributes to BSF assistant commandant Vinay Prasad after whom Vinay Outpost is named. The officer was killed on January 15, 2019, when Pakistan Rangers opened fire while he was supervising an embankment project as part of a BSF team. He had retaliated but sustained grievous injuries and died.

BSF director general Daljit Singh Choudhary, Jammu and Kashmir director general of police Nalin Prabhat and other senior officers, including BSF, Jammu frontier, inspector general Shashank Anand, and IG, Jammu zone, Bhim Sen Tuti accompanied the home minister as he inspected surveillance equipment at the post.

Choudhary briefed Shah about the equipment and weaponry on display.

Thereafter, the home minister met formation commanders to assess the security scenario along the border. His visit comes amid anti-terror operations of the security forces to flush out Jaish terrorists from Kathua and Udhampur districts.

Two Jaish terrorists and four policemen were killed in a gunbattle in the Sufain forest near Jakhole village in Kathua district on March 27. Since then, the forces have launched searches to track down the remaining terrorists.

This is Shah’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the Omar Abdullah-led government took charge in October last year.

The recent spike in terror attacks, particularly in Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi districts, has become a cause of concern for the Centre.

On the other hand, the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference-Congress government has been alleging interference from lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha. The recent transfer of 48 Jammu and Kashmir administrative service officers by the LG was criticised by the Omar government. Sinha said his decision was in consonance with the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.