Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday visited the headquarters of border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) here and reviewed its operational preparedness along the Nepal and Bhutan frontiers.
Shah, who was accompanied by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and other senior officials of his Ministry, was briefed about the “organisational structure, deployment, operational achievements and various facets as well as concerns” of the paramilitary force.
This is his first visit of Shah to the SSB headquarters of the border-guarding force after becoming Home Minister.
He was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour upon arrival, officials said.
The minister has recently visited the headquarters of other Central Armed Police Forces like the Central Reserve Police Force, the Border Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police for operational review.
The officials said the Home Minister was briefed and given a presentation by senior SSB officers, led by Director General (DG) Kumar Rajesh Chandra, about the force's deployment along the 1,751-km India-Nepal and 699-km India-Bhutan borders. SSB is the Lead Intelligence Agency on the Nepal and Bhutan frontiers which are not only open but also friendly.
Shah stressed that the SSB should ensure sanctity of the two open borders. While criminal elements are required to be checked effectively, genuine travelers of the three countries are provided easy access across the fronts, Shah told the paramilitary officials.
The Home Minister also directed the Force to use technology to secure these borders along the eastern flank of the country, officials said.
The Minister was also informed about the recent procurement of SUVs, arms and ammunition being used by the Force, they said.
The SSB was raised in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression in 1962 and it is primarily tasked to guard India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan apart from rendering other duties in the internal security domain including anti-Naxal operations and deployments in Jammu and Kashmir.
