Bhuj, May 30:
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Saturday chaired a high-level security review meeting in Bhuj, Gujarat, to assess security-related issues in the border and coastal districts situated along the India-Pakistan Border (IPB).
The meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, senior state government officials, and the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of Kutch, Vav-Tharad and Patan districts.
The review focused on strengthening border management, addressing emerging security challenges and enhancing coordination between central and state agencies in border areas.
Addressing the meeting, Amit Shah said that border fencing, maritime security measures and the strong political will of the Gujarat Government have transformed the state’s security landscape, resulting in the complete cessation of infiltration and cross-border smuggling.
He stressed the need for a zero-tolerance approach towards unauthorized encroachments within the 0–15 km belt along the international border and directed authorities to closely monitor centres of radicalisation in border areas.
The Home Minister instructed District Magistrates to keep a strict watch on demographic changes in border districts and submit regular reports. He welcomed the reverse migration trend in border areas due to industrial development and called for coordinated efforts by all administrative levels to identify and deport illegal infiltrators already settled in the region.
Shah also directed local administrations to formulate district-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to address challenges related to infiltration, drones, narcotics and other security threats.
To strengthen inter-agency coordination, he called for the formation of Security Coordination Groups in every border district, comprising representatives of the Border Security Force (BSF), Indian Coast Guard, Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and banking institutions.
The Home Minister emphasised the importance of monitoring hawala transactions, suspicious financial dealings, mule accounts, shell companies, suspicious vehicle movements and GST-related activities in border districts. He urged financial crime-fighting agencies to remain vigilant and directed the Income Tax Department and Reserve Bank of India to undertake extensive survey campaigns in border areas.
Highlighting the strategic significance of Gujarat’s coastline, Shah said that coastal security should remain a top priority and called for effective coordination with the Indian Coast Guard, especially in areas close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
He further directed officials to ensure 100 per cent saturation of all Central and State Government welfare schemes in border villages, alongside the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme, to promote development and strengthen national security in frontier regions.
The meeting underscored the Centre’s focus on enhancing border security, preventing illegal activities and ensuring comprehensive development in strategically important border districts of Gujarat.
