Rajnath appeals NC, PDP to join electoral exercise

HM launches two pilot projects of CIBMS
Boycott of elections is arrogance: Dr Jitendra

Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Sept 17: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today appealed to two premier political parties of Jammu and Kashmir-the National Conference and People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-to contest local elections in the State saying the polls provide direct opportunity to the political leaders to inter-act with the people. Click here to watch video
Without naming National Conference headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah and PDP by Mehbooba Mufti, both one-time allies of the BJP, Rajnath, who was here to inaugurate two pilot projects of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), or smart fencing, appealed to the political parties boycotting the elections to join the electoral exercise, which was set into motion by the State Election Commission two days back.
“Elections are an opportunity to inter-act with the people,’’ Rajnath said at a press conference at BSF Headquarters at Paloura.
He declined to comment when asked whether the two mainstream political parties—NC and PDP—have followed the Hurriyat Conference agenda by announcing boycott of the local elections.
The NC and PDP have announced boycott of both Municipal and Panchayat elections for Centre’s decision to link Article 35-A with the polls in the Supreme Court and sought an assurance from the Government of India on the Article.
Replying to a question on India’s relations with Pakistan, the Home Minister said India did what it could to improve ties with Pakistan but the neighbouring country has its own nature and behaviour “which we can’t change’’.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke protocol to visit Pakistan. But we cannot change the behaviour of Pakistan. They will have to understand how to behave with a neighbour,” he said.
He didn’t feel any change in Pakistan’s behaviour after takeover by cricketer-turned-political Imran Khan as the new Prime Minister.
“I pray that the change should come (in the behaviour of Pakistan). But I don’t think the change will come,’’ he observed.
To a question on terrorism and Naxalism in the country, Rajnath said the insurgency in North East has virtually come to an end, the Naxalism has been confined to only few pockets and Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) have been fighting militancy in the Kashmir valley very effectively.
On arrest of some Hizbul Mujahideen suspects in Assam and whether Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salah-ud-Din was spreading his network in that State, the Home Minister said he won’t go into the issue but added that terrorism, wherever it exists, is being tackled very effectively by Army and security forces, who were giving befitting and very effective reply to the terrorists.
Rajnath said it was difficult to measure the threat posed by ‘Urban Naxals’ but stressed that the “challenges” would be faced accordingly.
The term ‘Urban Naxals’ came into prominence following the arrest of five Left-wing activists in multi-city raids by the Maharashtra police for their alleged Maoist links.
Asked how dangerous the threat was from the ‘Urban Naxals’, he quipped: “You have asked a very difficult question… What will be its parameters and how it could be measured?”
“As per the feedback, there are certain challenges and we will face these challenges,” Singh said in his reply to another question on the arrest of the activists in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.
On the gang rape of a CBSE topper in Haryana, the Home Minister said he had talked to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and was assured that appropriate action will be taken and those guilty will be punished.
Earlier, Singh inaugurated two smart fence pilot projects along the Indo-Pak border from BSF’s Paloura Headquarters and dedicated the projects on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday today to the martyrs.
“Border security is our top most priority. I am happy to inaugurate two pilot projects under CIBMS (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System) today. We have already identified vulnerable areas and gaps on all borders,” he said, adding the Government was working towards upgrading border infrastructure, and more than 600 km roads have been constructed in border areas and hundreds of border out posts have been built.
“Initially the CIBMS project will be implemented to cover gaps in the physical fencing on the border. Subsequently, these technological solutions will be implemented on the entire border,” he said.
The two pilot projects of smart fencing, each covering a 5.5 km-border stretch along the International Border in Jammu, are set to get a first-of-a-kind high-tech surveillance system that will create an invisible electronic barrier on land, water and even in air and underground, helping the Border Security Force (BSF) detect and foil infiltration bids in the most difficult terrains.
CIBMS involves deployment of a range of state-of-the-art surveillance technologies — thermal imagers, infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms that form an invisible land fence, aerostats for aerial surveillance, unattended ground sensors that can help detect intrusion bids through tunnels, radars, sonar systems to secure riverine borders, fiber-optic sensors and a command and control system that shall receive data from all surveillance devices in real time.
The programme is a more robust border management system which is seamlessly integrating modern technology with human resource. It is based on integrated border management system and this virtual fence would be first of its kind initiative in India.
Rajnath told the reporters that he had seen the CIBMS during his visit to Israel and discussed it with Government leaders and security officials on return and finally it has been put in place in the form of two pilot projects in Jammu. Gradually, he said, the Government will cover 2026 kilometers vulnerable borders of the country with smart fencing. About 60-kilometers smart fence will also be inaugurated in Assam in November this year.
The CIBMS is designed to guard stretches where physical surveillance is not possible either due to inhospitable terrain or riverine borders
“These two pilot projects under CIBMS will go a long way in strengthening border security infrastructure. We will move forward after taking feedback from the success of these projects,’’ Rajnath said, adding: “We are working towards upgrading border infrastructure. More than 600 km roads have been constructed in border areas. And hundreds of Border Out Posts (BoPs) have been constructed’’.
Rajnath said implementation of CIBMS will help in reducing the number of casualties in security forces and also reduce the stress level in our forces.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh described National Conference and PDP’s call for boycott of local elections as “arrogance against people’’.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who accompanied the Home Minister during his day-long tour to BSF Headquarters Paloura and the border areas, was responding to a question that whether announcement of local elections despite boycott call by NC and PDP was arrogance of the Government as claimed by the two parties.
“Boycott of the elections is arrogance and not their announcement,’’ Dr Jitendra Singh quipped.
Later, Rajnath Singh visited some of the forward areas on the International Border in RS Pura sector and inter-acted with jawans. He also inspected some of the works in the forward areas.
He visited Government school at Makwal in Marh constituency and joined ‘Swachhata hi Seva’ and ‘Sharamdaan’ campaign.
He was accompanied by Dr Jitendra Singh, DG BSF KK Sharma, IG BSF Jammu Frontiers, Ram Awatar and other senior officers. BJP MLA from Marh, Choudhary Sukhnandan accompanied Rajnath at Makwal school function.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Dr Nirmal Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta, BJP MLA Domana Bali Bhagat and others joined Rajnath at BSF Paloura function during inauguration of the CIBMS.
Meanwhile, the BSF today said the CIBMS would be effective in plugging the gaps along the International Border (IB) in Jammu to stop infiltration of terrorists from across the border.
The new technology has the capability to detect any type of movement, whether on the ground, water or below the ground, and help in better management of border security, BSF Additional Director General A K Sharma told reporters here.
Sharma said inclement weather conditions would have no impact on the new system.
“Whether it is a fog, floods or storm, when it becomes humanly difficult to detect movement, this system will help the BSF personnel to maintain vigil even during such situations,” he said.
“Two pilot projects covering five-km each along the IB in Jammu region have been completed and once the system is rolled out fully, it will make the border security foolproof,” Sharma said.
He said the BSF is using individual sensors for detection of activity along the borders for a very long time but the new system brought all these sensors together and linked these with communication system and command control centre.
“Where there is no border fencing like stream and ravines which we call as gaps, this system would be very effective in helping guard these places and plug these gaps,” Sharma said, adding fencing is a physical barrier and has its own role the CIBMS would be presently used as per requirement.
He said the system would help the BSF to pick up any type of movement, whether under water or earth or whatever the condition, and accordingly the quick reaction teams would be launched to counter the threat.
Earlier, the BSF personnel used to act after physically monitoring the border but after the roll out of this system, the quick reactions teams would be launched immediately after any movement is detected without any delay.
“It will definitely have an impact as the monitoring will be done by the technology,” he said.
Asked about the effectiveness of the latest technology on tunnels which are being dug beneath the IB to push armed terrorists into the State, the BSF officer said this system has the capability to detect tunnel to a certain level beneath the ground.
“We have underground and underwater sensors under this system coupled with cameras and thermal imager,” he said, adding this system would help the force to work in a better way and efficient manner.

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