Siliguri, July 19: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday reviewed security arrangements along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Siliguri region, emphasising the Centre’s focus on strengthening border surveillance, accelerating security infrastructure projects and tightening measures against infiltration and cross-border crimes.
The visit included an inspection of the Border Security Force’s (BSF) Jumagachh Border Out Post (BOP), where Shah assessed surveillance systems from a watch tower and reviewed the operational preparedness of personnel deployed along the strategically important Siliguri Corridor.
In a post on X following the inspection, Shah said the region, which he described as once being vulnerable to infiltration, has witnessed significant improvements in border security due to enhanced surveillance infrastructure and technological upgrades.
“What was once a corridor of infiltration under previous governments in the Siliguri Corridor is now becoming synonymous with a secure border,” the Home Minister posted.
He said the government has increased the number of watch towers along the international border and equipped them with modern surveillance technology to improve monitoring and strengthen border management.
Later, Shah attended the Border Guarding Conference at the Jumagachh Border Outpost, where he interacted with BSF personnel and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for several projects aimed at enhancing operational capabilities.
During the conference, he reviewed demonstrations of multiple technology-based security systems, including the Intruder Warning System, Radio-based Fence Intrusion Detection System, Gate Management Software and the Indigenous Border Security System installed on newly designed border fencing.
According to Shah, the deployment of advanced surveillance equipment and indigenous security technologies is expected to enhance the effectiveness of border guarding and improve the operational readiness of security forces.
The Home Minister also chaired a high-level meeting in Siliguri to review security issues related to the India-Bangladesh border. Discussions focused on tackling illegal infiltration, narcotics trafficking, economic offences and strengthening coordination among agencies responsible for border management.
Reiterating the Centre’s policy, Shah said the Modi government is following a zero-tolerance approach against infiltration, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes. He also stated that long-pending infrastructure projects linked to national security in West Bengal would be taken up on priority.
Among the key announcements was the proposed establishment of a quadrilateral security grid, which, according to Shah, is intended to improve coordination between security agencies and further reinforce surveillance along the international border.
The Home Minister’s visit forms part of the Centre’s broader efforts to modernise border security through the use of indigenous technologies, smart monitoring systems and upgraded infrastructure. The initiatives are aimed at strengthening the operational capabilities of the BSF while improving the country’s response to security challenges along the India-Bangladesh border.
