Agartala, 05 June (HS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday emphasized that securing the country's borders is one of the foremost responsibilities of security forces to curb illegal infiltration, smuggling, human trafficking, and narcotics trade. Addressing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel during his visit to the Lankamura Border Outpost in Tripura, he also announced that the Centre has approved the renovation of 119 km of old border fencing in the state, with the first phase of work already underway.
During his two-day visit to Tripura, Shah inspected the BSF border outpost at Lankamura near Agartala on Friday afternoon. He was accompanied by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department of Border Management, the BSF Director General, and other high-ranking officers.
Marking World Environment Day, the Home Minister planted an agar sapling at the BSF camp and later interacted with BSF personnel deployed along the international border. Addressing the jawans, he noted that Tripura, surrounded on three sides by an international boundary, remains a highly sensitive state from a security perspective, making stronger border management a necessity.
Shah said that a significant portion of Tripura’s nearly 650-km border fencing is more than 15 years old. To strengthen surveillance and security infrastructure, the Centre has already sanctioned the replacement and renovation of 119 km of ageing fencing, and work has commenced.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047, Shah said that a safe and secure nation is the essential foundation for achieving that goal. “This security is not meant for war, but for preventing smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and the circulation of black money. Protecting the country’s youth from the menace of addiction is also one of our major priorities,” he said.
The Home Minister further observed that illegal infiltration adversely affects the country’s social and economic structure. He underlined the crucial role played by the BSF and other security agencies in safeguarding the nation’s borders and sovereignty. Urging personnel to remain vigilant, he said preventing infiltration and securing the frontier remain among their most important responsibilities.
To further modernize border management, Shah highlighted the Centre’s initiatives such as smart fencing and the proposed “Quadrilateral Security System,” which will enhance technology-driven surveillance along the borders. These measures, he said, would strengthen operational efficiency and provide better support to security personnel deployed in challenging conditions.
Explaining the purpose of his visit, Shah stated that the objective was to assess the current status of border security arrangements on the ground and interact directly with BSF personnel to understand their requirements and challenges.
Speaking on the occasion of World Environment Day, the Home Minister also stressed the importance of environmental conservation. He said that humanity must collectively compensate for the damage caused to nature in the course of development and called for greater awareness and participation at both individual and societal levels to ensure a sustainable future.
Emphasizing the need for collective efforts in both border security and environmental protection, Shah urged citizens to play a responsible role in safeguarding the nation and preserving the environment for future generations.--------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
