Working on a multi-pronged strategy to deal with increasing security threat from Pakistan, the Centre has now set up an ambitious deadline to completely seal the entire border in northern and western sectors with the neighbouring country by December 2018.
The decision was taken following a high-level security meeting chaired by Union home minister Ranjath Singh on Friday in Jaisalmer with chief ministers and home ministers of four border states — Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
Sources said Mr Singh told the concerned security agencies and the states that the deadline for the sealing of the border has to be “strictly adhered to and the work has to be completed within the stipulated deadline.’’
Apart from setting up a monitoring mechanism to ensure that work on sealing the border is done in a timebound manner, the home ministry will also set up a new ‘border protection grid’, which will co-ordinate with the four border states on all issues related to security, sources said.
Senior officials from the ministry, state governments and central security agencies also participated in the crucial meeting where it was also decided that there would be greater use of technology in securing the border. The meeting also discussed recommendations of the Madhukar Gupta Committee, which recently submitted a detailed report to the home ministry on securing the Indo-Pak border. The Committee, headed by the former home secretary, was constituted following the attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in January this year, had also recommended use of technology in sealing the entire border.
“We have set a very tight schedule to seal the border by December 2018 and there would be no extension of this deadline specially in the changed security scenario. The work would be monitored at the highest level in the government directly by the home secretary and his team,’’a senior ministry official said.
While commenting on the issue of setting up the ‘border security grid’, Mr Singh said, “This is a new concept and we will be framing guidelines after getting suggestions from all stakeholders, including the four border states.’’
Sources said the Centre was keen on police of border states also having a special unit which can assist central forces in securing the border, modalities for which will be firmed up in the days ahead.
