Govt to use technology to secure borders: Rajnath Singh

The Centre has launched a pilot project in Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal and Tripura to provide technological support to secure country's international borders, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh said here today.

"Till now our borders have remained secure because of the efforts of our jawans. Now we are introducing technology on a large scale to secure our borders using radar, laser, CCTV, sensor and many such things," Singh said addressing Border Security Force (BSF) jawans at an event here near Pakistan border.

The project, called "Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System" envisages securing borders with latest technology to help BSF guard the frontiers.

"We have already initiated pilot projects in the states like Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab and Tripura," he said.

Asked about increasing infiltration bids along the Jammu and Kashmir border, Singh said, "Our jawans have also been killing terrorists in more numbers than before" and "successful infiltration" has decreased by 38 to 50 per cent in the last two years.

Singh was speaking at a programme where a Surat-based diamond firm provided Rs 51,000 each to the family members of 21 BSF jawans from Gujarat, killed in the line of duty at various places in the country.

Asked if Gujarat faced any immediate cross-border infiltration bid from Pakistan as suggested by some intelligence reports, he said terrorism is not restricted to Gujarat alone but is a global problem.

"Our PM has taken many countries, including Islamic countries, on board in the fight against terrorism. I have said it before that we should not look at terrorism on the basis on caste or religion," he said.

Praising the efforts of corporates for supporting the family members of the slain BSF jawans, Singh said he has talked to several corporate houses to take care of education of their children.

"I have talked to corporates so that at least the family of those who lent their life for the country are taken care of," he said, adding that one corporate has already taken responsibility of 300 children of such jawans.

Addressing BSF jawans, Singh said the paramilitary force is in fact "the first wall of defence and not the first line of defence" as it is popularly called.