Rs 370 crore to BSF, ITBP for border infrastructure

Laying emphasis on building infrastructure along the Indo-Pak and Sino-India borders, the government has sanctioned nearly Rs 370 crore to the BSF and the ITBP for construction of bunkers and special climate-controlled huts in forward areas, an official said today.

A total of Rs 369.84 crore has been sanctioned by the home ministry for construction of infrastructure for Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the official told PTI.

The amount will be spent for construction of bunkers, fortifying border out posts of the BSF along the Indo-Pak border, construction of climate-controlled huts, procurement of snow scooter for the ITBP besides other necessary works of the two forces.

The BSF guards the 2,526.86-km-long Indo-Pak border, including 237.2 km of the Line of Control, and 4096.7 km of the Indo-Bangladesh border.

The Indo-Pak border has been witnessing massive ceasefire violation from across the border since the beginning of 2017. At least four BSF personnel were killed in firing by Pakistan this month.

ITBP guards the 3,488-km-long Sino-India border that runs through Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The force is specially trained to operate in high altitude mountainous terrain.

ITBP border out posts are of the height up to 18,750 feet where the temperature dips down minus 40 degree Celsius.