Centre approves Rs 360 crores for BSF

The Centre has approved a Rs 360 crore plan for Border Security Force to raise 29 new battalions within the next five years.

The fund was sanctioned by the Union Home Ministry recently as part of its expansion programme for central paramilitary forces, BSF Director General M L Kumawat said.

"We are also going to open nine new sectors and set up three more frontier headquarters," he said at a function here.

Each of the battalions will comprise around 1,000 personnel and the recruitment process will start soon.

With the induction of the 29 new formations, the total BSF strength will go upto 186 battalions.

BSF will also get eight helicopters and three aircraft soon for patrolling the borders and to transport men and material in case of emergencies, according to BSF sources.

The eight 'Dhruv' Advanced Light Helicopters will be procured from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited while one large transport plane and two small aircraft will be purchased from abroad within this fiscal.

The BSF is also going to set up around 500 new border outposts along the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla borders as part of its efforts to increase vigil along the two sensitive frontiers.

"The BSF has been able to electrify and provide safe drinking water to all its existing BOPs," Kumawat said.

The sources said the first helicopter will arrive within the next two months and the rest of them will be handed over to the force by March 2010.

In its existing fleet, the BSF has six MI-17 helicopters and two Embraer aircraft.

The union cabinet has sanctioned Rs 44 crore for the strengthening of the BSF Air Wing by placing the orders for the helicopters and the transport aircraft.

The BSF guards the 4,096-km-long Indo-Bangla border and 3,268-km-long border with Pakistan which includes about 2,526 km of International Border and 742-km Line of Control.

Out of its two-lakh plus force, BSF has deployed about 45,000 personnel (45 battalions) on the India-Pakistan border from Gujarat to Jammu and Kashmir and about 60,000 (60 battalions) along the Indo-Bangla border.