India to deploy additional force on Bhutan border

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) India would intensify patrolling on Indo-Bhutan border by increasing the deployment of Shastra Seema Bal from five battalions to twelve and provide training to the Bhutanese police force.

This has been decided at the annual Border Management on Security meeting between the two countries held in Bhutan, said Mr B S Lalli, Secretary (Border Management) in the Home Ministry. He said that the Indian delegation called on Bhutanese King and Home Minister and discussed the traditional friendship and good relationship between the two countries.

He said that the additional deployment of SSB on the border to be done in two phase would ensure that the one lakh refugees residing in nine camps in Eastern Nepal could not cross over to Bhutan. The number of battalions would increase to ten by November, 2006 and by next year it would be raised to twelve. The number of border outposts would also be increased from present 35 to 122.

However, he said that additional deployment of SSB was the result of planned natural expansion of SSB from the present 25 battalions to 41 battalions. The 699 km long Indo-Bhutan border was largely peaceful, he said but added that the governments would not like to be complacent.

He said that recently some element of restiveness has been observed in people residing in these camps but India has assured the Bhutanese government that it would ensure that there was no infiltration in that country. He said that patrolling along the border would be increased to keep it under constant effective vigil.

India has assured to provide protection to Bhutanese people property, escort its men and material and work to prevent poaching and timber mafia operating in border areas The Bhutanese government assured that at present no militant group have their camps on its territory and it would not allow militant groups like ULFA to set up camps there.

However, Mr Lalli said that there was no proposal to launch any joint action as there was no significant movement on the Indo-Bhutan border. It is more or less peaceful except some isolated cases.

About 130,000 refugees, which are of Nepalese origin, have been been expelled by Bhutan and about one lakh of them live in nine camps in Eastern Nepal and about 30,000 of them in India. Bhutan has refused to accept them back and Bhutan and Nepal have held talks on the issue and jointly also visited these camps recently.

Meanwhile, the Government has also decided to increase deployment of SSB on West Bengal and Asom borders.

UNI AJ VD KN1945