First day favours Central forces

From Express News Service

Oct 20, 2011

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 50-metre-long swimming pool in Kariavattom LNCPE had a serene appearance till Wednesday morning. But when swimmers in their groove hit waters, it created ripples of zest and sporting vibrancy which went unmatched. The first day of All-India Police Aquatic Meet ended on a high note, with Central police� forces calling the shots.

The heats of 100 m breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle and 800m freestyle were held in the morning. A vibrant� crowd, including around 600 swimmers representing various State and Central forces, went all out in support of their teammates.

The first uproar from the crowd exploded when Mandar Anand Rao of BSF tapped the finishing board in a flash in the 800-m freestyle. He had clocked a time of 08:59:92 outdoing all other competitors by a big difference. Manu BM of CRPF came second and Kalicharan Mahato of BSF finished third.

Two Pakistanis apprehended off Sir Creek by BSF

From moneycontrol.com
Kutch (Guj), Oct 19 (PTI) Two Pakistani nationals were today apprehended from near the Sir Creek area on west coast of the district, while they were trying to enter into the Indian territory, BSF officials said.

The two men, who had come in a fishing trawler, were apprehended near Sir Creek, by the BSF team patrolling in the area, they said.

The duo have been brought on the shore and were being interrogated, while their boat was being searched.

Further investigation in the matter was on, officials added.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/two-pakistanis-apprehended-off-sir-creek-by-bsf_602575.html

3 BSF men killed in Dhruv chopper crash

http://youtu.be/eSU1jkEPRrA
From HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
Ranchi, October 19, 2011 

A Border Security Force (BSF) Dhruv helicopter on anti-Naxal duty in Jharkhand crashed on the outskirts of Ranchi on Wednesday, killing two pilots and a technician of the paramilitary agency's air wing on board.

The pilots, Captain SP Singh and Captain KV Thomas, and technician Manoj Swain died in the crash around 8.50am at Namkum forest near Kolad village, 40 km from the state capital, police said. 

The advanced light helicopter was going to Chaibasa from Ranchi when its engine caught fire, said a BSF official. This is the fourth Dhruv crash in the last one year in the country. 

"I saw the chopper turning upside down before it crashed with a loud noise," said shepherd Sitaram Munda who was grazing cattle nearby.

The helicopter had been pressed into anti-Naxal operations for relief and rescue work. The BSF had engaged two Dhruv helicopters in Jharkhand - where 18 of the 24 districts are Naxal-affected - around a year back.

According to a government official, a union rural development ministry team was scheduled to visit Saranda jungle, a Maoist stronghold. The helicopter took off at 8.40am for a recce and the central team was supposed to follow.

Ranchi senior superintendent of police Saket Kumar Singh said, "Directorate general of civil aviation officials have reached the crash site. There are people from Indian Air Force's Kalaikunda air base and state civil aviation department as well. They are investigating the causes of the crash."

Developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Dhruv is designed to meet the requirements of both military and civil operators.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/3-BSF-men-killed-in-Dhruv-chopper-crash/Article1-758974.aspx

2 BSF jawans held in child ‘sacrifice’ case

Manosh Das, TNN Oct 9, 2011, 12.50AM IST

Tags:

• Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills|
• child sacrifice

SHILLONG: Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were arrested in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills for suspected " child sacrifice" in a temple in the 121 battalion camp. The BSF on Saturday instituted a court of inquiry to investigate the case. The jawans belonged to BSF's 121 battalion.

A senior BSF officer told TOI, "We handed over head constable Chandra Bhan Das and constable Babu Khan to Meghalaya police. They are suspected to be involved in the case." The BSF jawans are among the five people being interrogated by the police.

Gujarat, green activists stand divided

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, October 14, 2011


The 1965 battleground between India and Pakistan in Rann of Kutch is now a war zone between security forces and environmentalists over protecting Indian flamingoes and Harappan site of Dholavira. Gujarat's public works department has proposed an elevated road to provide better access to 

the BSF's last point in Rann of Kutch, where Indian and Pakistani troops fought a bloody battle in 1965, in addition to existing road along the Indo-Pak border.

That is what Gujarat has told the environment ministry to get the clearance from the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife that meets on Friday.

What it didn't say is tourism potential by providing wildlife, prehistoric creates and unique archeological site along side the road.

The elevated road will pass through Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, India's only dry protected area, bringing the famous Flamingo City closer to vehicle access. Every year, thousands of flamingos transcend in this site in South Asia to raise their broods.

Close to Flamingo City is Tangdi Bet, the last refuge of wild ass in the Rann. Their other home in south Asia is in Rajasthan. South of the proposed road is one of the most diverse mangrove system of 7,000 sq meters at Sharavan Kavadia. 

The proposed road will cut through archeological site of Jurassic and Cretaceous ages, where relics of dinosaurs, prehistoric crocodiles and whales have been found and fifth largest Indus Valley civilisation site at Dholavira.

India now flooding Pakistan with liquor, heroin

From Pakistan Press

The Nation

By: Ashraf Javed | Published: October 14, 2011

LAHORE – Indian smugglers in connivance with their Border Security Force (BSF) are flooding Pakistan’s Punjab province with liquor and heroin-chemicals as Pakistan Rangers have busted an international racket involved in pushing drugs from India to Pakistan. 

The smugglers use various drug tunnels and even managed to smuggle chemicals used for preparation heroin from India to Pakistan through the border gates, supervised and controlled by the BSF, it was reliably learnt here on Thursday. 

Well-informed sources further revealed that Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) has already shared this information with Indian BSF during different border meetings held in the recent past. 

Road to Rann down Kutch heritage!

From The Daily pioneer

THURSDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2011 23:29

MOUSHUMI BASU | NEW DELHI

Should the proposed road of the Gujarat State Public Works Department (GSPWD) “said” to promote border security be approved at the cost of natural and cultural heritage at Rann of Kutch in Gujarat? This crucial decision is expected to be taken in a meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board For Wildlife (NBWL) on Friday.

According to experts, the proposal for the roadway threatens the rarest breeding grounds of flamingos in South Asia and the last surviving habitat of Indian wild asses besides a unique mangrove system and the Harappan site of Dholavira.

The GSPWD has maintained that the purpose of this road is to provide increased access to the Border Roads Organisation (BSF). It is about 30 to 40 km inland of a road running parallel to the fenced international border between India and Pakistan across the Rann of Kutch. But though it is the BSF that draws its own proposals for construction of frontier roads, in this case, the proposal has been mooted by the GSPWD.

'Floodlit' Indo-Pak border can be seen from space as 'bright orange line'

London, Sept 6 (ANI): An image of the earth, taken from the International Space Station last month, shows a bright orange line jutting across the earth, indicating the border between India and Pakistan.

The spectacular image showing the floodlit border was taken by Expedition 28 International Space Station Crew on August 21, the Daily Mail reports.

The Indian Government had sanctioned a move to erect floodlights along the terrain separating India and Pakistan in the Gujarat sector in 2003 in order to prevent smuggling and arms trafficking, the report said.

In previous years, the border has regularly seen attempts at infiltration by terrorists, as well as the smuggling of arms, ammunition and contraband, the report added.

Officials have so far erected floodlights along 286 miles (460 km) of Indian border with the Pakistani state of Punjab, the report said.

In total, the Indian Government hopes to cover 1248 miles (2009 km) of the 1800-mile (2900 km) Indo-Pak border with floodlights, the report added.

The extensive floodlighting continues for 635 miles (1022 km) across Rajasthan, 109 miles (176 km) across the Jammu international border, and 125 miles (202 km) through Gujarat, the report said.

Plans are in place to erect a total 1269 miles (2043 km) of fencing along the nation's border, and the Indian Government hopes to have completely finished the floodlight operation by March 2012, the report added.

Pakistani cities of Lahore and Islamabad as well as Indian capital New Delhi can also be seen in the dramatic picture. (ANI)

http://in.news.yahoo.com/floodlit-indo-pak-border-seen-space-bright-orange-050539163.html

PMO Nod For Plan To Induct More IPS Officers: From CAPF, State Police

From The Hindustan Times
July 25, 2011


Aloke Tikku


ON CARDS Young officers from paramilitary, state police to be taken to fill vacancies
: The Prime Minister's Office has finally cleared home minister P Chidambaram's special recruitment plan to induct IPS officers from young officers of paramilitary and state police forces to overcome a severe shortage of police officers.The Union Public Service Commission is expected to hold the limited competitive examination for assistant commandant and deputy superintendent of police-rank officers from 2012.
The examination would be open to these officers, provided they have put in at least five years of service at this rank but aren't older than 35 years.
The home ministry was open to the idea of absorbing young army officers into the Indian Police Service (IPS) as well. But the proposal fell through, as the armed forces wanted their officers to be placed at a higher level than other inductees from the police on grounds of their experience in the army.
Government sources said the home ministry had started preliminary consultations with the UPSC on the limited examinations to be held annually for seven years. About 70 IPS officers would be inducted through this route each year, besides the 150 officers selected through the civil services examination. The plan has its origins in Chidambaram flagging the shortage of IPS officers soon after taking over as home minister post 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. In January this year, the security establishment faces a shortfall of 1,327 officers. There are 3,393 IPS officers against a sanctioned strength of 4,720.
A panel headed by retired police officer Kamal Kumar, set up by Chidambaram, had recommended giving state police and paramilitary officers a second shot to get into the IPS.
The home ministry came up with the first proposal in February last year but was opposed by IPS officers. Many were worried that recruiting state and paramilitary officers into the IPS would take the sheen off their “elite service“.
There were also raised eyebrows that the department of personnel and training had killed a similar proposal for the IAS.

Likely Rate of Dearness Allowance (DA) For July-Dec 2011

The Labour Bureau, Government of India has released All India Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) on base 2001=100 for the month of May 2011. The value of the index for May 2011 is 187. Based on the figures of last relevant months the Dearness Allowance for Central Government Employees is likely to be raised to 58% i.e. 7% increase over current rate of 51% if point to point inflation in June has not seen wild fluctuations.

The final figure however will be calculated by Aug and the formal orders will be issued in Sept 2011.

Chhattisgarh ambush: 2 BSF men, naxal killed

From IBNLive

Press Trust Of India

Jun 26, 2011

Raipur: Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were on Sunday killed and three others injured in a Naxal ambush in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, a top police official said, adding an ultra was also gunned down in the incident.

Kanker district Superintendent of Police Rahul Bhagat told PTI on phone that a joint patrolling team of the BSF and the district police from Koylibeda was ambushed near Sulangi village by around 150 naxals in which two BSF jawans--a head constable and a constable--were killed on the spot while three others, including a special police officer, were injured.

Bhagat said a naxal, suspected to be a commander-level officer, as he was wearing a cap with insignia, was killed in the retaliatory fire by the jawans, adding that the security personnel had recovered a 303 rifle and two IEDs from the spot of the incident.

The district police chief also said the security personnel had claimed that the ultras took away around ten of their comrades who were hit by the police bullets.

Bhagat also informed that additional police force had been rushed to the spot and the injured are being shifted to hospital.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chhattisgarh-ambush-2-bsf-men-naxal-killed/162855-3.html

BSF nabs B'deshi in Meghalaya

From The Times Of India
TNN | Jun 26, 2011
GUWAHATI: BSF personnel nabbed a Bangladeshi national from the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district early on Saturday morning. An officer of the BSF's Assam-Meghalaya Frontier said the person, identified as Md Samim Khandukar, 37, was nabbed while he was trying to sneak into Bangladesh from India.

Samim is a resident of Cheragaon Majehali village in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh. BSF personnel found Indian currency worth Rs 93,850 and a cellphone with Bangladeshi SIM card on him.

Samim and the seized items has been handed over to the Meghalaya Police for legal action.

BSF troops deployed in Dhubri district of Assam and hilly areas of Meghalaya have seized 23 cows, country boat and other contraband items, in the past 24 hours. These items were being smuggled out to Bangladesh. The estimated cost of seized items stands at Rs 3,00,000. They have been handed over to the departments concerned for required action. 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/BSF-nabs-Bdeshi-in-Meghalaya/articleshow/8994061.cms