SSB to raise new intelligence wing for Nepal, Bhutan borders

Sashastra Seema Bal will soon raise a full-fledged combat intelligence wing comprising around 1,000 personnel in order to better secure the "sensitive" and porous borders of Nepal and Bhutan.
SSB, which mans the 1,751-km-long Nepal border and 699-km-long Bhutan border, has also seized fake currency with face value of Rs 6.45 lakh from areas on Nepal frontier post demonetisation.
SSB Director General Archana Ramasundaram, interacting with media persons here before the 53rd Raising Day of the force on December 19, said the paramilitary force has sent a proposal to the government to raise close to 1,000 personnel as part of its maiden combatised intelligence network that it wants to deploy on these borders.

The force, till now, used to rely on its non-combatised officials and regular troops for this task at these two borders.
"The border (Nepal) is very sensitive and the influence of elements of various types in these areas have mushroomed ...We have proposed to have our full-fledged intelligence wing in the force. The proposal has been sent to the Home Ministry," the DG said when asked a question on increasing Chinese activities in Nepal.
While she said she would refrain from commenting on specific operational and classified aspects along this border, she said the force is keeping a "watch" on every activity along this frontier on India's east.

She added the intelligence wing, once raised, will be deployed on both the borders that the force guards with a special impetus on activities along Nepal as heavy cross- border movement takes places across this frontier.

"There is no fencing on this (Nepal) border and there are different challenges here. We also have to keep the sensitivity of people in mind as the local population on both sides have relations and interactions across the border we guard," she said.
The DG added the force, raised in 1963 in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese aggression, will have a new structure for intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination.

A senior official said the new intelligence wing will be raised on the lines of the famed 'G' wing (General wing) of the Border Security Force which has some of the major kills and operations to its credit in the Kashmir Valley and the Naxal-hit states.
Talking about other challenges on the borders, Ramasundaram said the Nepal frontier was sensitive when it comes to tackling the menace of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and the force has seized a total of 6.45 lakh such forged currencies after the government demonetised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 on November 8.