Watch border demographics, says Amit Shah

Gandhinagar: Union home minister Amit Shah, who chaired a security review meeting in Bhuj on Friday, has directed district magistrates of border districts to strictly monitor and report on demographic changes.

An official statement said on Saturday that Shah also asked district administrations of border districts to chalk out SOPs to ensure identification of infiltrators and the tracking of threats related to drones and narcotics.

Earlier this week, Shah had said that a high-level committee had been constituted to assess demographic changes across India due to “illegal immigration and other...causes”.

The statement said that Shah stressed the adoption of the zero-tolerance approach towards unauthorised encroachment within 15km along the international border.

He also directed authorities to maintain a close watch on centres of radicalisation in border areas. CM Bhupendra Patel, deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi, senior officers and collectors and SPs of border districts of Kutch, Patan, and Vav-Tharad attended the meeting.

Welcoming the trend of reverse migration happening in border areas due to the establishment of industrial units, Shah said police and local revenue department officers should work in unison to ensure deportation of illegal infiltrators.

He also called for forming Security Coordination Groups in every border district, comprising the BSF, Coast Guard, income tax department, Enforcement Directorate, and the managers of leading banks in the area.

“The responsibility for the effective enforcement of income tax, anti-money laundering, and Customs laws should rest with the district magistrate, superintendent of police and inspector general (IG), Border Range,” the statement quoted Shah as saying.

The Union home minister also highlighted the need to maintain strict vigil over hawala transactions, dodgy financial dealings, mule accounts, shell companies, and suspicious vehicles in border districts.

Agencies dealing with financial crimes must be kept apprised of developments in border areas, and the income tax department, in collaboration with the RBI, should conduct extensive surveys, Shah said.

He also called for prioritising coastal security and ensuring effective coordination with the Indian Coast Guard, given Kutch’s proximity to the International Maritime Boundary Line.

He said that the strong political will of the state govt and coordinated actions with central enforcement agencies have ended infiltration and smuggling on the border.

Shah asked Gujarat to ensure 100% saturation of every scheme, both of the central and state govt, in villages located along the international border.