Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asked BSF personnel to check the smuggling of cattle, especially cows, across India-Bangladesh border and clamp it down at any cost.
“You (BSF) have to work on many frontiers. You have to strive to stop illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, deal with narcotics, fake currency notes being smuggled from this border. I want to tell BSF jawans and officers that you should stop the smuggling of cows (at this border) at any cost and if you are doing that already I compliment you for that,” the Home Minister said while delivering his speech during the 49th RPT 49th Raising Day celebrations of the force.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed was also among those attended the event.
The 4,096 km Indo-Bangla border is guarded by the Border Security Force, with BGB, the counterpart on other side.
The Home Minister also lauded the country’s largest border guarding force for giving a fitting reply to Pakistan during the recent spate of ceasefire violations.
“You showed a lot of patience during these ceasefire violations despite Pakistan provoking and doing repeated violations. It is because of your hardwork that no one can cast its evil eye on India. You have a glint of patriotism on your faces today,” he said.
During the event, BSF Director General D.K. Pathak said the Union Home Ministry had accorded “in-principle” approvals to some of the infrastructural and operational requirements of the force in border areas which now require a final sanction from the government.
Mr. Pathak said final “financial approvals” are required by the force to have 274 border posts with drinking water lines, Rs. 464 crore for constructing operational ‘nakas’ and observation posts on both the Bangla and Pakistan borders and Rs. 90 crore for creating 393 advanced fibre huts at the Line of Control (LoC).
In separate messages, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated the force on its anniversary.
