BSF, India’s First Line of Defence, Completes 56 Years

The Border Security Force (BSF), India’s first line of defence, completes 56 years of dedicated, distinguished and glorious service to the nation on December 1.

Since its inception, the force has provided services be it for internal security, counter insurgency or anti-Naxalite operations, said S.L. Thaosen, Additional Director General (ADG), Command Headquarter (Special Operations), Chhattisgarh, on Friday.

He was addressing the media at the BSF Headquarters in Nava Raipur, Atal Nagar.

He said the BSF has grown exponentially from 25 battalions in 1965 to 192 battalions with a strength of 257,363 personnel including an expanding air and marine wing, an artillery regiment and commando units.

BSF had been deployed in district Kanker in Chhattisgarh from December 2009 to January 2020 to combat Naxalite violence. The deployment is at the tri-junction of the worst affected states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra, Thaosen added.

He said at present there are 8 battalions in Kanker district. Apart from ‘peace time role’ and ‘war time role’, the Force carries out internal security duties, election duties, counter-insurgency operations and aids civil authorities during natural calamities.

Till date, the Force has killed 14 Maoists, caught 1,099 and forced 89 to surrender in Chhattisgarh. The seizures made under anti-Naxalite operations are 437 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 338 kg of explosives, 337 detonators and 623 weapons.

Similarly, in the border of Chhattisgarh/Odisha, the work includes expanding area of domination and forming small action and quick response teams for effective operations.

Under the Civic Action Programme in 2019-20, medical camps were organized, seeds, fertilizers, clothes, sports items, utensils, footwear, mats, stationery and school bags were given away.

Solar panels, handpumps, water tanks and handicraft development activities were also set up or organized, the officer said.

Around 150 from Kanker district were taken for visits to Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Lucknow, Amritsar and Chandigarh between November 2019 and February 2020.

Source: DP