Happy Birthday BSF
Neelam Mathews Dec 1 2013 India's Border Security Force enters its 49th year today. The last year has been full of challenges says the Director General, Subhash Joshi. The govt has sanctioned a 5 year modernization plan worth approx Rs 4200 crores alongwith infrastructure and new units. It is raising 3 battalions this year and air and water wings being upgraded. Biggest challenge for the BSF is border infiltrations.To a query whether forthcoming elections would pose a problem on borders, he said fencing on the western border was almost complete and on the Bangladesh border some issues on the fencing re landscape were involved. BSF is also building an embankment , "an old project", a 179-km stretch of the border in Jammu to prevent ceasefire violations by Pakistan. "It was felt we need better defenses in this sector...the land is being acquired...when handed to BSF, the construction agency will be requested..., " said Joshi. "We were told it...