Rajnath Singh chairs meeting with CMs, reviews security along Indo-Pak border

Jaisalmer: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday began his two-day visit to Jaisalmer to review the security situation along the India-Pakistan border with Chief Ministers of some states.

He chaired the review meeting at the Border Security Force`s Sector headquarters (North). The meeting was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal, Gujarat's Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Brij Raj Sharma.

Top Border Security Force officers and senior officials of the state governments of Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Punjab were also present.

Sealing of India-Pakistan border was discussed during the meeting.

The Home Minister will later tour border areas of Rajasthan and the border outposts to assess the situation along the border.

Rajnath Singh will also hold a separate meeting with BSF officials in Barmer tomorrow.

Out of 2289.66 km of Indo-Pakistan Border (IPB), 2034.96 km has been covered by physical barriers, including fencing, and the remaining 254.80 km of the border is planned to be covered by physical and non-physical barriers shortly.

There are stretches in which construction of physical barriers is not feasible due to geographic constraints such as riverine, low-lying, creek and marshy areas.

In this stretch, it is proposed to deploy technology solutions, including the deployment of cameras, sensors, radars, lasers, etc.

The BSF is testing the available technologies through pilot projects in the Jammu region, Punjab, and Gujarat.

The paramilitary force is in the process of a rollout of a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) for this stretch of IPB, which is due to be undertaken in a year`s time.

The Indian side of the IPB, which is 3,323-km-long, passes through the states of Gujarat (508 km), Rajasthan (1,037 km), Punjab (553 km) and Jammu and Kashmir (1,225 km).

Out of the 3,323-km border with Pakistan, about 2,289.66 km of the International Border (IB) is under the operational control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Apart from the IB, there is a Line of Control (LoC), which is under the operational control of the Ministry of Defence. 

(With Agency inputs)