Union home minister Amit Shah (PTI file photo)
NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry on Thursday said the Modi government is building a strong four-layer security grid by bringing together border guarding forces, state and district administrations, other central government agencies, and local people to strengthen border security.The ministry said the government’s vision of a “smart border” will make India’s border security system one of the most modern in the world in the coming years.The Smart Border initiative came as a part of the Modi government’s broader strategy to eliminate Naxalism and enforce a “zero tolerance” policy against terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and across India.Amit Shah-led ministry said a secure border, a prosperous border region and an alert society together are essential for the country’s security. He added that India has been freed from naxalism as well as terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, calling it a result of the country’s collective efforts.The government aims to deal a major blow to the narcotics network and achieve victory over the drug menace within the next three years.The MHA said the government is creating a strong system to make India completely free from infiltration and ensure that illegal infiltration does not take place. “Earlier, problems used to be permanent and solutions temporary. Under the Modi government, we are striking at the roots of the problems and making the solutions permanent,” the home ministry said. According to Shah-led ministry, PM Modi-led government has increased border infrastructure by 400 per cent and is expanding it through a scientific approach. Under the Vibrant Villages Programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the country’s last village as its “first village”. The initiative aims to prevent migration, create employment opportunities and ensure that government welfare schemes reach every eligible beneficiary.The home ministry also said Prime Minister Modi has launched the Demography Mission to study demographic changes, identify abnormal factors behind population growth, and recommend measures to address them.Modi government has attested to its commitment of tackling of unnatural demographic growth caused by abnormal factors with a “ruthless approach”. According to the home ministry, infiltration is the main reason for demographic changes in border areas.The home ministry said the government has shifted its approach to border security from being reactive to proactive by creating a four-layer integrated security grid instead of relying only on isolated border outposts.It also stressed the need to ensure that information about demographic changes caused by abnormal factors in border areas is reported quickly from the grassroots to the highest levels of government.
