India working towards impregnable smart security grid along border to stop infiltration: Amit Shah
"The home ministry will soon introduce a security grid project equipped with drones, radars, modern cameras and other advanced technologies,” he said.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah today (22 May) said India is working towards setting up an "impregnable" smart border security grid by next year with the help of drones, radars and modern cameras to stop infiltration and trans-border crimes.
Speaking at the Border Security Force (BSF) investiture ceremony in New Delhi, he said the government has resolved not only to stop infiltration but also to identify and expel every single infiltrator from the country.
"Time has come to decisively stop infiltration that has continued unchecked for years," Shah said.
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Shah asked the BSF, the world's largest border guarding force with 2.70 lakh personnel, to also prevent conspiracies aimed at altering demographics through infiltration.
"Work is progressing towards creating an impregnable border within the next year by integrating all kinds of technologies under the Smart Border concept. The home ministry will soon introduce a security grid project equipped with drones, radars, modern cameras and other advanced technologies," he said.
Shah also said, "We will not allow unnatural demographic change in India."
He stressed the need to remain vigilant against demographic changes caused by cross-border infiltration and against attempts to weaken the country's economy through narcotics and fake currency.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a high-powered demography mission and work on it will begin soon after its committee is constituted.
The home minister said border security should no longer be viewed as an isolated responsibility but as a broader territorial responsibility.
He said governments in Tripura, Assam and West Bengal, the three states where BJP is in power, now follow policies that clearly oppose infiltration.
The governments in these states are committed to preventing infiltration, he said and asked the BSF to work in coordination with them to prevent infiltration
The minister further said it is the responsibility of the BSF not only to secure the borders but also to maintain close coordination with village-level officials, police stations, district collectors and superintendents of police.
He said detailed information must be gathered about new infiltrators, their routes of entry and the networks involved in smuggling, including cattle smuggling, and all such routes must be systematically identified and shut down.
Shah said the available information should be used to build a structured system for preventing and removing infiltrators.
Strengthening the border security grid will require close coordination among state police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), other armed forces, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and intelligence agencies, he added.
