New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated its 46th Raising Day Thursday at its Chhawla camp here with Home Minister P. Chidambaram taking the salute.
Addressing the BSF personnel, Chidambaram praised the high standard of training and leadership attained by the force. He told the personnel that the government was aware of their problems and would always consider their demands.
‘Not a single day passes without discussing or thinking about our force. Not a single month passes when the government does not discuss about the forces condition at the border and what all difficulties they go through. India is proud of its border guarding force,’ Chidambaram said.
He said South Asia could become a haven of peace and progress only if all countries in this part of the world learn to live together in peace and harmony.
He said the government is continuously working on developing the infrastructure to facilitate the soldiers.
‘The government has approved major proposals of strengthening the BSF. (A total of) 1,528 posts have been sanctioned for augmenting training capacity, 415 additional posts for engineering and 825 posts for BSF set-up,’ the minister said, adding that the government was also keen to assist land acquisition to expand the operational bases of the force.
BSF Director General U.K. Bansal said the BSF was the largest force of its kind in the world and guards 6,623.56 km of the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders. It is now also involved in anti-Maoist operations in two states — Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
‘The challenges the border men face are tough and many. However, the BSF over a period of time developed the skills for undertaking the diverse tasks of border management, counter-insurgency operations and maintenance of internal security, besides deployment on security duties in foreign lands under many UN missions,’ Bansal said.
The home minister also decorated four personnel with the President Police Medal for Gallantry and eight personnel with the President Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
The colourful parades of BSF camel contingent, dog squad and motorcycle display were appreciated by everyone.
Specially-trained dogs also showcased their ability to accept orders. A dog presented a boutique to the minister after an order given by the squad.
