India to seal Pakistan border fully by 2018

Rajnath Singh also mooted setting up a border security grid for which suggestions have been invited from all the concerned stakeholders including the states which share border with Pakistan. “It is a new concept. We will be framing guidelines after getting suggestions from all stake holders,” Singh said. The decision comes in the wake of increased tensions between India and Pakistan after the September 18 attack on a military base in Uri, and the surgical strike by the Indian Army on terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.  Speaking to media after reviewing the security situation on border with ministers and officials of four states here Singh said India is planning to seal the entire border with Pakistan by December 2018 and a proper monitoring mechanism would be in place at the central and state government levels for it. 

Singh further added, “This project will be periodically monitored by Home Secretary at the central level, BSF from the security forces perspective and Chief Secretaries at the state level.” He said under the action plan of sealing the border, technology will also be used. “Like we have riverine and Sir Creek area in Gujarat, there we will make maximum use of technology for effective sealing of border,” he added. The meeting was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal, Gujarat and Rajasthan’s Home Ministers Pradeepsinh Jadeja and Gulab Chand Kataria respectively and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Brij Raj Sharma, an official said.  Senior BSF officials were also present.