<p>The Centre has approved a Rs 360 crore plan for Border Security Force to raise 29 new battalions within the next five years.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>"We are also going to open nine new sectors and set up three more frontier headquarters," he said at a function here.</p>.<p>Each of the battalions will comprise around 1,000 personnel and the recruitment process will start soon.</p>.<p>With the induction of the 29 new formations, the total BSF strength will go upto 186 battalions.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p> "The BSF has been able to electrify and provide safe drinking water to all its existing BOPs," Kumawat said.<br /><br />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. </p>.<p>In its existing fleet, the BSF has six MI-17 helicopters and two Embraer aircraft.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p> 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.</p>
<p>The Centre has approved a Rs 360 crore plan for Border Security Force to raise 29 new battalions within the next five years.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>"We are also going to open nine new sectors and set up three more frontier headquarters," he said at a function here.</p>.<p>Each of the battalions will comprise around 1,000 personnel and the recruitment process will start soon.</p>.<p>With the induction of the 29 new formations, the total BSF strength will go upto 186 battalions.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p> "The BSF has been able to electrify and provide safe drinking water to all its existing BOPs," Kumawat said.<br /><br />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. </p>.<p>In its existing fleet, the BSF has six MI-17 helicopters and two Embraer aircraft.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p> 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.</p>