BSF refutes Tripura govt's charges

Agartala, Nov 27 (UNI) The BSF today refuted the charges made by Tripura's PWD minister Badal Chaudhury regarding the faulty design of barbed wire fencing along the border with Bangladesh.

BSF's Deputy Inspector General P J Sebastian told UNI that the paramilitary force had a limited role in the procedure of fencing.

''We are monitoring the entire construction work and giving logistic support to the construction agencies,'' Mr Sebastian said.

He wondered at Mr Chaudhury's allegation regarding the third party inspection of barbed wire fencing along border with Bangladesh. ''RITES and EIL are already inspecting the entire fencing work and submitted reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA),'' said the DIG.

He said that all the construction agencies including the state Government owned PWD had faltered in providing good quality materials for fencing. ''No agency including the PWD can claim that they are the best. Defects such as retaining wall are not provided where they should have been provided, barbed wire locking and other common defects had been noticed in PWD's barbed wire construction,'' the BSF DIG observed.

Out of 736 km sanctioned work, construction work for 622 km barbed wire was on the verge of completion. But the BSF was yet to take over as they have pointed out defects in construction work and the agencies were rectifying them, he added.

Tripura shares about 856 km border with Bangladesh. The works on the remaining 120 km starting from Mizoram to S K Para will commence shortly.

Regarding the electrification of barbed wire in the state, the DIG pointed out that funds and electric supply were the major constraints. He opined that the fencing would have been more effective, if illumination could be done in the entire Eastern Sector as it has been in the Western Sector.

Referring to the recent rise in terrorist activities in the state, he said the BSF has tightened the vigil in the entire area to check the inflow of unwanted elements.

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