Wednesday, February 16, 2011

India-Myanmar border to get helipads

From The Assam Tribune NEW DELHI, Feb 15 – The Government is planning to build helicopter bases and enhance road connectivity along the porous Indo-Myanmar border to enable dispatching of quick reinforcements and other supplies to BSF troops who will now guard the border instead of the paramilitary Assam Rifles, reports PTI.
The Centre is also expected to clear a Rs 8639.81 crore budget plan in the coming fiscal to raise additional 41 battalions in the Border Security Force which will now be deployed close to that border in order to enhance vigil.
The BSF will have additional 41,000 personnel, four frontier headquarters, 11 sector headquarters after the government recently decided to replace the Assam Rifles — currently guarding the 1,640km-long frontier — by the BSF, which guards borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
“A security audit report jointly prepared by the BSF and Assam Rifles has been submitted to the Home Ministry. The proposal envisages construction of helipads and enhancement of road network along the porous and densely forested Indo-Myanmar border,” sources familiar with the development said.
“The proposal is under active consideration and advanced stage for approval, including the financial sanction for increasing the strength of the BSF, to enable it to take up the new responsibility,” they said.
Most of the posts of Assam Rifles are located well inside Indian territory and only a handful of posts are located near the zero line, which makes it easier for the insurgents camping in Myanmar to sneak into India easily.
The BSF has hence been asked to construct the posts close to the border, they said.

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