The Hindu : Front Page : Security on Nepal, Bhutan borders to be strengthened

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 28, 2005

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Security on Nepal, Bhutan borders to be strengthened

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 27. The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, today indicated that the security on the borders with Nepal and Bhutan would be strengthened. The Union Cabinet had approved the raising of 20 additional battalions for this purpose, he said.

Speaking at the 42nd anniversary day of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Mr. Patil claimed that the manning of these borders by the SSB had put an effective check on subversive, militant and fundamentalist activities.

He, however, admitted that the forces were now spread thin. Hence, there was a need to strengthen them, he said. The unmanned lengths of the borders had given an opportunity to forces inimical to the country's interests to further their nefarious designs.

More battalions

Over the next two years, 20 more battalions would be raised and deployed, plugging the existing gaps, he said. Raising of these battalions would not only help make the borders more secure but also provide employment opportunities to the youth in the border areas.

Mr. Patil spoke of the "open" nature of these borders, with people freely moving across it from both sides. Managing these borders required sensitive handling. While security would be strengthened, guarding these "open" borders would not be possible through armed forces and the police alone. It would require an able, conscious and alert population committed to national security.

He was happy to note that the SSB had not only taken up security duties but was also involved in extending medical facilities to those living in the border.

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