Sending out a strong message to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), guarding the porous and open Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday said the force needs to use “great tact and wisdom” to execute it’s duties effectively.
“Unlike other borders, these two (Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan) borders present special difficulties. They are open borders. For a border guarding force with an open border... calls for great tact and wisdom apart from being vigilant and strong,” Mr. Chidambaram said while addressing troops and officers during the 46th raising day celebrations here.
The Home Minister said he was glad to know that “SSB is giving importance for relocating it’s Border Out Posts (BOPs) to strategic advantages closer to the International Border to check the inflow of anti-national elements.”
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The SSB guards 1,751 kilometre of Indo-Nepal and 699 kilometre of Indo-Bhutan borders.
Mr. Chidambaram also praised the force for “setting a good precedent by making it compulsory for officers to visit all BOP’s and frequently make a certain number of night halts” at these places.
Mr. Chidambaram praised the SSB for undertaking civic action works amongst local population in various States.
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“I am happy to know that SSB has been able to achieve mutually beneficial relationship with the people... especially in Chhattisgarh and other States,” he said.
The SSB has been protecting almost ten State government-run Salwa Judum camps in two districts — Bijapur and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh since the last year.
Director General of the force M V Krishna Rao said women personnel of the SSB, equivalent to seven companies (about 700 personnel), have been deployed on the borders to carry out patrols and checks on smugglers.
The force has fine-tuned its Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and has relocated its BOP’s closer to the border, Mr. Rao added