BSF to get 16 new battalions, 2 field HQs for Pakistan, Bangladesh borders

The Border Security Force is all set to get the government's final nod to raise 16 more battalions, comprising around 17,000 troopers, and set up two forward headquarters for its western and eastern commands guarding the Pakistan and Bangladesh frontiers, respectively, official sources have said.

The plan has already received an in-principle approval.

Once sanctioned, it will be a shot in the arm for the force that has heightened vigil in the east following last year's fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh and in the wake of a renewed challenge on the Pakistan front after the April 22 Pahalgam massacre.

The BSF is soon expected to get the final sanction for raising 16 new battalions which will be raised over the next few years, sources in the security establishment told PTI.

Some final approvals including sanction from the Union finance ministry are pending and are expected to be granted soon, they said.

The paramilitary force has 193 battalions as of now to guard the two fronts. A battalion of the border force consists of over 1,000 troopers. Hence, the overall strength of the 16 new battalions will be around 17,000 personnel.

These new battalions will help the BSF in its primary task of guarding the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders as per a blueprint being prepared by the border force, they said.

The sources said two field command bases for the force have also been approved by the Union home ministry.

One sector will come up in Jammu to strengthen security along the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu and Punjab and the second will be based in Mizoram for better surveillance of the Bangladesh border, they said.

The current sectors, headed by deputy inspector general (DIG) rank officers, in its Jammu frontier are located at Rajouri, Sunderbani, Jammu and Indreshwar Nagar. Under its Mizoram and Cachar frontier headquartered in Assam, the sectors are located at Silchar, Aizawl and one in Manipur.

Sources said the BSF will initiate recruitment drives to hire men and women for these new battalions, followed by their training. The force is expected to raise these units over a period of five to six years, they added.

According to officials, the 2.70 lakh personnel strong force had sent a proposal to the home ministry a few years ago to raise 20-21 new battalions owing to "the fast-changing security dynamics, profile of the terrain and related issues" in its primary task area of guarding the two borders apart from combat duties in the anti-Naxal operations theatre.

The government finally agreed to raise 16 new battalions, they said.

The BSF guards a total of 6,726 km of the two borders which includes 2,290 km of the India-Pakistan International Border and 339 km along the Line of Control (LoC) apart from 4,097 km of the front with Bangladesh.

A total of around 1,047 km of these two borders is unfenced owing to those lines passing through riverine areas and harsh jungle terrain. The force has 1,760 border posts along these two frontiers.