Apart from its work at the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders, the BSF has been recently assigned the work of guarding the 1,624-kilometer India-Myanmar border.

BSF will be put on alert at the country’s eastern border due to the ongoing election process in Bangladesh.

It is in the process of upgrading its air and water wing.

“We have been recently told to guard the India-Myanmar border. We have sent our proposal for raising 41 new battalions and creation of 4 frontier points and 12 sectors along the India-Myanmar border,” said the BSF Director General Subhash Joshi here on Friday.

When questioned how long it would take to raise 41 new battalions, he said “it would be completed in five years.”

He, however, said that the BSF would be raising three new battalions, this year. The Government has so far authorized BSF to raise 186 battalions and the force has asked for permission to raise 41 new battalions to discharge its new responsibility of guarding India-Myanmar border.

The Government has approved Modernisation Plan-II of the BSF for the period 2012-17 with a financial outlay of Rs 4,570.07 crore keeping in view the rapidly changing security scenario and ever evolving technology.

According to Joshi, the new modernization plan has been made jawan-centric as they constitute about 90% of the force. Surveillance equipment including Recce and observation systems, watercraft, information technical, medical equipment, training equipment, communication equipment are in the process of procurement. UAVs and helicopters are being in the pipeline for procurement through the Indian Air Force.

The Modernisation Plan-II has been divided into five broad heads, namely, arms and ammunitions, motor transport, clothings, tents and store, machinery and equipment and information technology.

Joshi informed that on the western side of the country’s 2,289.66 km long border with Pakistan about 95% of fencing has been completed. The process of identification of vulnerable patches on the border is under progress. Latest equipment like LORROS, HHTI, BFSR, NVGs and night vision devices are provided to the troops to enhance the surveillance capabilities at cutting edge levels.

DG level conferences between BSF and Pakistani Rangers was conducted to achieve ground level solutions for functional border issues. Active border domination and intelligence based operations led to the record seizure of heroin of about 288.52 kg at the Punjab border, he said.

In October there were many cases of cross-border firing from Pakistan in the Jammu sector in which BSF retaliated. One BSF jawan was killed in the cross border firing.

On being asked about Pakistan constructing tunnels for making infiltrations, Joshi said that there was only one such case a year ago.

The BSF DG also informed that about 75% of fencing has been completed along the 4096.7 km long India-Bangladesh border. There are problems difficult terrain and riverine areas. Vulnerable mapping of 82 border out posts has been completed from the angle of illegal migration, human trafficking, smuggling of phensedyl, fake Indian currency notes and cattle. Under Coordinated Border Management Plan signed between India and Bangladesh to resolve minor issues, nodal officers on both sides were briefed by BSF and Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB). About 117 vulnerable patches have been identified jointly for Simultaneous Coordinated Patrol (SCP). Several confidence building measures (CBMs) have been taken up between the two countries including setting up 66 border haats.

Multi-layered fencing has been approved by the government. Apart from border management the BSF is engaged in counter-insurgency, tackling Left-wing extremists, communal violence and poll related violence.