TBP HAS ASKED FOR OVER 30 ADDITIONAL BATTALIONS TO TAKE OVER THE SECURITY AT INDO-MYANMAR BORDER
NEW DELHI: The government may transfer around a dozen battalions of Assam Rifles to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to facilitate the force to carry out their security duties at porous Indo-Myanmar border, sources said.
HT FILE“An in-principal decision has already been taken to transfer the guarding duties at IndoMyanmar border to the ITBP. Its cost and other implications are being discussed between ministries of home, defence and finance. The plan is to transfer some of the battalions of Assam Rifles to the ITBP for providing it additional resources to kickstart their duty. A final decision is expected soon,” said a home ministry official requesting anonymity.
The ITBP has asked for over 30 additional battalions (around 30,000 personnel) to take over the security duties at Indo-Myanmar border. The ITBP already guards the Indo-China border.
At the moment, around 15,000 personnel or 15 battalions of Assam Rifles guard the 1,643 km Indo-Myanmar border. Besides the border guarding duties, over 30,000 personnel from the Assam Rifles are also responsible for the counter-insurgency duties in the Northeastern states.
Though, the Assam Rifles is part of the Union home ministry, it works under the command of the Indian Army.
The government had been deliberating for long to transfer the Indo-Myanmar border guarding duties to the ITBP, following a recommendation by a task force headed by RN Ravi, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, .
The task force was constituted to suggest measures to strengthen monitoring of Indo-Myanmar border which is prone to infiltration from Northeastern insurgents and smugglers.
“The government had sanctioned around 15 additional battalions (around 15,000 personnel) of Assam Rifles for strengthening security at the Indo-Myanmar border. They may now move to the ITBP,” said another home ministry official requesting anonymity due to sensitive nature of deliberations.
Besides transferring border guarding duties at IndoMyanmar border to the ITBP, the government is planning to put in additional measures to monitor movement of people across the border.
At Indo-Myanmar border, as a special measure both the countries allow movement up to 16 km across the border without visa restrictions. It is called Free Movement Regime (FMR) in order to help tribal people living across the border in maintaining generational ties with each other.
“The government is planning to provide additional measures like biometric identity cards for better monitoring of the FMR facility,” said a security source.