The Union Home Ministry informed Parliament that the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) was extended due to the emerging menace of drones and other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), among other reasons.
Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu. (Representative image: PTI)
The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday informed Parliament that the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) was extended due to the emerging threat of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said this in a written reply in response to a question by Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in its written response, said, “The expansion of territorial jurisdiction of BSF in certain states is aimed at empowering the BSF to discharge its border security duties more effectively in view of the use of technology such as Dynamic Remotely Operated Navigation Equipment”. (Drones), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), etc. are generally long-range, used by anti-national forces for surveillance as well as smuggling of arms, narcotics and counterfeit Indian currency notes (FICN). are done by.
“This [the increase in territorial jurisdiction] It will also help in curbing the menace of cattle smuggling as smugglers take refuge in interior areas outside the jurisdiction of BSF,” the government told Parliament.
Disgruntled BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh Varun Gandhi had sought the Home Ministry’s response to increase the Border Security Force’s (BSF) jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km within the international borders in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam. Government notification dated 11th October, 2021.
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States ruled by non-BJP parties such as West Bengal and Punjab have opposed the move, calling it a violation of the federal rights of the states.
Recently, BSF DGP Pankaj Singh cited “demographic change in border states” especially West Bengal and Assam as one of the major reasons for the expansion of BSF’s jurisdiction.
Pankaj Singh had said last week, “One of the reasons for increasing the BSF’s jurisdiction to 50 km in the border states was the demographic change in Assam and West Bengal. We have a district-wise structure of how the demography has changed in these areas.”
However, the Home Ministry had mentioned this in its reply to the Parliament.
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