The Government will construct 509 more Border Out Posts (BOPs) to maintain vigil along the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The BOPs will reduce the inter-border out post distance to 3.5 Kilometers and help in effective monitoring of the borders.

This was informed by Home minister P Chidambaram while addressing the members of consultative committee of his ministry in New Delhi today. An official release says Chidamabarm said 383 BOPs would be constructed on Indo-Bangladesh border and 126 on Indo-Pakistan border.

The construction would be completed by 2014, he said.

The Home Minister mentioned that the BOPs were now provided better communication and infrastructure facilities. The Home Minister also informed the members that Centre was exploring use of modern technology in border management by proper fencing, flood lights and other latest technologies available in this field.

The Minister said adequate resources were being provided apart from exploring low cost technology for better border management. Referring to the Border Area Development Programme (BADP), the Minister disclosed that Rs 990 crore had been allocated for BADP for the current fiscal which was Rs 90 crore—more than the last year’s allocation.

AIR correspondent reports BADP covers 358 blocks of 96 border districts of 17 states located along the international Land Border. Funds are provided to the states as a non-lapsable special central assistance for execution of projects relating to infrastructure, livelihood, education, health, agriculture and allied sector.

The Home Minister said the fencing at the borders was helping to a great degree in checking the infiltration. He, however, stated that the fence also requires repairing wherever it is damaged by the sand dunes in Rajasthan sector and snow in Jammu and Kashmir. Chidambaram said border area management was possible only when economic and infrastructure development took place in the border areas.