650 new combat posts for better intelligence gathering at border approved

The SSB guards the two borders where there are no restrictions on the movement of people on either side.

The centre has given its nod for setting up 650 combat posts for better intelligence gathering. This would add strength to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the force guarding India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan.

This unit would help anticipate threats and also assist the SSB which is the lead intelligence agency for the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.

The SSB guards the two borders where there are no restrictions on the movement of people on either side. The area under the SSB jurisdiction comprises densely populated foothills and plains, thick jungles, underdeveloped regions and inhospitable terrains.

An official statement from the government said, "There is trans-border movement of criminals and anti-national elements and it poses a major challenge on the border in the context of the visa-free regime. Most of the stretches of the border are infested with ISI activists, insurgent groups, Maoists, fundamentalists, smugglers of narcotics, arms and fake currency, and human traffickers."

The SSB had earlier sent a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs for setting up an intelligence unit to strengthen the efficiency and operational mandate of the force on borders.

OneIndia News