2023 a success for BSF in Meghalaya

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 4: BSF Meghalaya Frontier oversees a challenging 444 km stretch of the International Border with Bangladesh, grappling with tough terrain, unfenced patches, elephant corridors and heavy rainfall. Despite these obstacles, the BSF has made overcoming challenges a habit and routine, ensuring the safety and tranquillity of the border.

In the year 2023, the BSF Meghalaya Frontier demonstrated exceptional vigilance and efficiency. The force successfully seized smuggled goods worth more than 49.20 Crores INR, including Cattle, Sugar, Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), narcotics and various miscellaneous items. Furthermore, 180 miscreants were apprehended, comprising 113 Indians, 67 Bangladeshis and 02 Rohingya who violated the sanctity of the International Border.

Beyond the border duties, the BSF Meghalaya actively engaged in ‘Civic Action Programmes’ to foster mutual trust and strengthen relations with the local communities. In 2023, troops under BSF Meghalaya organized 45 such programmes, including 24 medical camps, providing free medical checkups, medicines, and various essential items to the needy bordering people.

To showcase the spirit of cooperation and sportsmanship, the Meghalaya FTR HQ BSF hosted the BSF Inter Frontier Judo, Gymnastics, and Taekwondo Championship at NEHU, Shillong. In reverence to the martyrs of the motherland, the ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign was organized across the Indo-Bangladesh Border in collaboration with the civil administration of Meghalaya state. The BSF actively participated in community service, organizing blood donation camps, providing emergency medical assistance and rescue operations in various incidents.

BSF Meghalaya is committed to safeguarding the Indo-Bangladesh border and maintaining the sanctity and tranquillity of the international border.

BSF seizes 10000 kgs of sugar meant for smuggling

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 4: BSF seized more than 10,000 kgs of sugar on January 3 which was meant for smuggling to Bangladesh through different bordering districts of Meghalaya

Vigilant troops from the 172 Bn of BSF Meghalaya successfully intercepted a vehicle near the Sonapur bordering area. The intercepted vehicle was found to be loaded with a substantial quantity of sugar, intended for smuggling into Bangladesh from the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.

The driver of the seized vehicle was apprehended, as he failed to provide valid documents for the consignment of sugar. Both the apprehended individual and the seized items were handed over to the police station Umkiang for further legal action.

In another operation, acting on specific info, BSF troops of 193 Bn identified three suspicious vehicles approaching the bordering area under East Khasi district. The intercepted vehicle was loaded with the consignments of Sugar with four occupants. Upon questioning, the occupants provided unsatisfactory responses and failed to produce valid documents pertaining to the consignment of Sugar. All apprehended individuals, along with the seized items, were handed over to the Police Station Danger for further legal action.

Roster system: Ampareen assures justice to every community

Spokesperson of Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government Ampareen Lyngdoh has assured that the government will come up with the best solution to ensure there is no ‘injustice’ done to any community while implementing the roster system in the state.

“We will come out with the best solution and we will ensure that solution is manifested in credible information,” Lyngdoh told reporters today.

“I appeal to the people of Meghalaya and political parties across the board to kindly allow us to collect data, to ensure data collected is credible and to ensure that in applying this roster there shall be no injustice done to any one community. We are Meghalayans and we must understand that the government is for the people of Meghalaya,” she added.

Also referring to the ongoing debates on the issue, the cabinet minister said, “I appeal to political parties to be confident that the government is taking all advisories, suggestions, being debated and we will evaluate those suggestions and we will incorporate and come out with a roster which is going to be acceptable, which is going to be justified and which is going to have credible source of data.”

Stating it is a very difficult situation, she said, “We are trying our best now to ensure that while debating and discussing this matter, we should not be seen as taking anyone’s side, we will try our best to present to the people the best solution.”

On the other hand, Lyngdoh also asserted the need for citizens of the state to ensure that a practice that was propagated since the inception of the state with its positives and negatives should not be discussed beyond logical debate while citing that reservation policy is a very unique application.

According to her, the government is also aware that the roster does in all likelihood create some sort of a sense of insecurity amongst communities that are enjoying this reservation in the state of Meghalaya.

Urging the people of the state not to underestimate the capacity of the government to evaluate what practice will benefit the state in the long run, the spokesperson said, “We have been actively engaging on understanding the roster as it was and how best can we take that forward protecting the interest of all communities who will gradually and definitely be affected by it.”

“I want to give an assurance to the people of the state that the government is engaging actively. We have been advised by various court orders to ensure that we have a systematic application of the reservation policy that will seem like a policy that is sensitive to citizens across the board. We will try our best to understand this system and to ensure that while applying it we should not seem as a government that is unjustly applying a system,” she said while adding “This order of the High Court is going to have positive application in the future. We must as a state adhere to justice for all. We must provide a fair playing ground for all communities and we will try our best to ensure that in its future application we apply the system in the best and most justified manner. We are procuring all datas from all line departments to understand how the roster has been applied in the state thus far and we will adhere to advisories that are going to be productive in the long run for the state and the citizens of Meghalaya.”

On the demand of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) to review the state reservation policy, Lyngdoh said, “Again, I want to reiterate that toying with discussion and debate about the roster on public domain coming out with statements which can seem as bias is the incorrect practice forward.”

“It is not fair to give suggestions that may not be workable or doable. So we will not talk about any one political party but we appeal to all political parties that this is a very sensitive issue, we do not want to see it go out of hand,” she said while requesting all civil societies and NGO members to have faith in the government which will come out with the best solution.