To bolster better assessment of the security situation emerging from the neighbourhood, the Indian missions in the countries adjoining the frontiers will hold meetings on half yearly/yearly basis with officials of the bordering States/Union Territories and border guarding forces to have a better sensitisation and assessment of security concerns.
“The Union Home Ministry in coordination with the External Affairs Ministry, Research and Analysis Wing, Intelligence Bureau and Directors General of border guarding forces will initiate action for holding such meetings with officials of the concerned States and Union Territories on six monthly or yearly basis,” a senior security official said.
In addition to this, the border guarding forces like the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have been directed to organise problem-specific hackathons in collaboration with premier educational institutions and start-ups in the country to evolve cost-effective indigenous solutions for border arrangement. The Assam Rifles, deployed on the border with Myanmar, will also be in such an exercise, officials said.
They said all issues concerning construction of roads along the Indo-China border under the India-China Border Roads-II scheme are being resolved in top priority.
In order to keep the border population synced with the security apparatus, the police forces of the bordering States have been advised to hold “vikas utsavs” in
their respective areas along the frontiers by involving the local community, public representatives, local administration and all stakeholder agencies.
The developments come in the backdrop of border row with China in eastern Ladakh and the continuing threats from the Pakistan army and its terror cohorts along the frontiers in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said these mechanisms will lead to a better assessment of the ground situation in the bordering areas and simultaneously tweaking the emerging threats by putting in place relevant counter-measures in relation to the challenges from inimical forces and agencies.
The comprehensive mechanisms in place on the ground are also expected to lead to better synergy
between the stakeholder agencies for an effective counter to challenges emanating from dynamic security scenarios amid two major hostile neighbours.
While the ITBP secures the frontiers along China, the BSF is deployed on the border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The SSB is the designated paramilitary force for the frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan.