Rajnath Singh to meet CMs of border states

As the tension between India and Pakistan continued to escalate on Tuesday – with the latter opening a new front in Naushera sector in Kashmir, firing indiscriminately on Indian forward posts using small and heavy weapons – Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called a meeting of chief ministers of states that share boundary with Pakistan on October 6-7.

The meeting, expected to be attended by chief ministers of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir at a forward location in Jaisalmer sector of Rajasthan, is meant to serve as a warning to Islamabad that New Delhi is not taking the current escalation lightly and is fully prepared to handle any situation, be it an act of aggression, sources said.

The border inspection will also be attended by director general of the BSF, KK Pathak and union home secretary, Rajiv Mehrishi among other top officials of the agencies.

Equipped with the report of the committee formed under former home secretary Madhukar Gupta, the team will also visit border outposts guarded by the BSF at forward locations to have a first-hand view and understanding of how security can be strengthened at the International Border by equipping the BSF to stop Pakistan-backed infiltration and smuggling of counterfeit currency notes and drugs.

"The Home Minister may visit forward locations in Punjab and Jammu sectors soon, especially the riverine area from where the perpetrators of Dinanagar and Pathankot attack supposed to have entered into India," said sources.

The Centre has already advised states to get the villages vacated in Punjab and Jammu that lie close to the border and bear the brunt of heavy artillery and mortar shelling whenever tension escalate between the two countries.

Union home ministry is keen to implement the comprehensive integrated border management solutions (CIBMS) as recommended by the Madhukar Gupta committee to make the border secure and impregnable from any kind of infiltration bids by Pakistan.

In a recent meeting, Rajnath had reviewed the upgradation of existing border outposts to composite BOPs, construction of advance fibre-reinforced polymer posts (FRPs) on high altitude, forward defended localities on LoC in J&K and the acquisition of land for newly-sanctioned battalions.