Demolish all illegal structures within 15 km of international border: Amit Shah during security review meeting in Bikaner

Shah urged to frame a 360-degree security cover for every border district involving citizens, state machinery and security agencies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the authorities to strictly enforce a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against illegal constructions and demolish the all such existing structures within 15 km of the country's borders during a security review meeting in Rajasthan's Bikaner on Tuesday.

Addressing the meeting along with Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, senior state officials, and the district magistrates and superintendents of police of five border districts – Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sri Ganganagar and Phalodi, Amit Shah examined security concerns of bordering Indian districts of Rajasthan.

The home minister called for strict enforcement of the zero tolerance policy against illegal constructions, particularly within 0 to 15 km of the internal borders, and to demolish all such structures, officials said.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs has said the Indian-border districts of the state have been directed to carry out an in-depth study of the sources, patterns and networks behind crimes and the drug menace and urged to frame a 360-degree security cover for every border district involving citizens, state machinery and security agencies.

District magistrates bear heavy responsibilities including to ensure legal and financial compliance of banking transactions in the border areas by all banks, verify big business establishments, examine their funding sources, track mule accounts and false companies, identify fake Aadhaar cards and control cross-border smuggling, officials said.

The home minister also emphasised of a holistic approach to ensure border security involving the BSF, CBDT, NCB and the state machinery to address issues of infiltration, narcotics smuggling, encroachment, terror financing and other trans-border crimes.

“Emphasis was laid on the successful implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP)-II for strengthening last mile governance, curbing economic crimes, fulfilling infrastructural gaps and supporting border population,” the ministry statement said.

At the meeting, Shah also directed to ensure 100 per cent saturation of all government schemes in the border villages, and called for the effective use of the '1930' call centre to tackle cybercrimes.

“A review and feedback on these issues will be undertaken again after two months; therefore, the districts will have to ensure result-oriented action,” the statement said.