Of 2,061 border fencing light poles, only 616 functional along Gujarat-Pak border

Out of the 2,061 Border Fencing Light poles along the international border in Gujarat's Bhuj and Gandhinagar Sector, only 616 are "functional", the BSF has told the CPWD, according to the minutes of an inter-departmental co-ordination meeting held in November.

Border Security Force officers also informed the CPWD that out of 82 diesel gensets, only 38 are "functional", "affecting operational duties" by the troops on the sensitive international border, the minutes stated.

The meeting was held at BSF Headquarters in New Delhi, during which senior officers of BSF and CPWD, the government's largest construction agency, discussed several projects.

BSF Director General Rajni Kant Mishra and Central Public Works Department DG Prabhakar Singh also attended the November 16 meeting.

India's border with Pakistan runs through four states, Jammu and Kashmir (1,225 km, which includes 740 km of Line of Control), Rajasthan (1,037 km), Punjab (553 km) and Gujarat (508 km).

"Out of 2,061 BFL poles, only 616 BFL poles are functional (along the international border in Bhuj and Gandhinagar Sector). Out of 82 DG sets, only 38 DG sets are functional.

"CPWD (was) requested to carry out necessary repair at the earliest as it is affecting operational duties performed by the troops deployed on the sensitive international border," stated the meeting's minutes prepared by the BSF and sent to the CPWD director general on December 12.

There have been several attempts of infiltration by terrorists who cut the border fences to enter India from the Pakistani side.

BFLs are maintained by CPWD in Bhuj and Gandhi Nagar Sector.

According to the minutes of meeting, the CPWD intimated that work of repairing of BFLs and DG sets in Bhuj and Gandhi Nagar Sector are in progress and will be handed over to BSF after proper rectifications.

It also stated that in Jammu, out of the 28 command posts in non-composite Border Output Posts, so far only three command posts have been completed and 17 are under-construction with "very slow progress" while work on eight have not yet started.

It added that out of the 43 High Mast Lights in river-line gaps, so far work on 25 HML has been completed while three are under construction with "very slow progress" and 15 HML work has not started yet.