New Delhi, [India], December 29 (ANI): Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged the Border Security Forces (BSF) to make efforts towards increasing tourism in villages through the Vibrant Village Programme, making villages self-sufficient and equipped with all facilities.

The Home Minister, who launched the Mobile App ‘Prahari’ and Manual of Border Security Force (BSF) here, said that security at borders can be ensured when border villages are populated. He said alongside soldiers deployed on borders, permanent security can be provided only by patriotic citizens living in villages and all border guarding forces will have to strengthen it.

Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently started the Vibrant Village Programme.

“All the BSF personnel through the Vibrant Village Programme should make efforts towards increasing tourism in the village, making the village self-sufficient with complete facilities,” he said.

Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) was announced in the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech 2022. The programme envisages coverage of border villages on the Northern border having a sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure, which often get left out of the development gains.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director General of BSF Pankaj Singh, Chief Secretaries of Union Territories and several senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union Territories and BSF were also present on the occasion.

In his address, Shah said that the BSF ‘Prahari’ app is a great example of proactive governance.

“Now jawans can get personal information and information related to accommodation, Ayushmann-CAPF and leaves on their mobiles,” he said.

“Be it GPF, bio data or grievance redressal on “Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System” (CP-GRAMS) or information on various welfare schemes, now Jawans can get all this information through the app and this app will also connect them with the portal of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” he added.

The Home Minister congratulated the BSF Director General and his entire team for the awaited revision and update in 13 manuals which will increase the understanding of operations, administration and training and speed up the work.

The minister said he is sure that this will facilitate the work of all ranks of BSF Jawans and officers. “These new initiatives will bring ease and convenience in the work of BSF.”Mentioning that the BSF guards the most difficult border of the country, Shah said that after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee conceptualized ‘One Border One Force’, “the responsibility of our borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh has come under the responsibility of BSF and the brave soldiers of BSF are manning these borders with great vigilance, strength and promptness as well as consistent efforts”.

He said that the security of the borders of the country cannot be ensured by pillars or fencing, but only by the bravery, patriotism and alertness of the soldiers standing on that border.

He lauded bravery, vigilance and alertness of all the BSF personnel.

The Minister said BSF has been honoured with numerous gallantry awards including one Mahavir Chakra, 4 Kirti Chakras, 13 Vir Chakras and 13 Shaurya chakras.

“BSF has fought so many battles with such valour that a book could be written on each war.”The Home Minister said 26,000 kg of narcotics and 2,500 arms and ammunition were seized in the last three years by BSF.

He said that although the anti-drone technology on the border is still at the experimental stage, it has been successful to a great extent.

Within the last six months, Shah said that BSF has shot down 22 drones on the western border, which is a huge achievement.

“Success is also being achieved against the drones carrying weapons to spread narcotics and terrorism with nefarious intentions.”The Minister said that a “BSF drone or UAV and Cyber Forensic Lab” has been set up in Noida, through which captured drones have been thoroughly mapped for their linkages and locations across the border.

Shah said that fencing could not be done at some places on the border due to difficult topography.

He further said that the BSF has developed in-house technology for electronic surveillance there, the cost of which is very low and its efficiency is very high.

The minister said that BSF personnel have been able to secure the border with continuous vigilance. Construction of 140 km of fencing and about 400 km of roads have been completed in difficult places.

“Along with this, more than 120 border outposts have been constructed.”The Home Minister said that the Modi government takes care of the family of the jawans with the same vigil with which BSF Jawans protect the country at the border by standing in temperatures ranging from – 40 degrees to 46 degrees.

“A new app has been created for housing and within 2 months of its launch, the housing satisfaction ratio has increased by 10 per cent which is a huge achievement,” he said, adding “this is also a great example of proactive governance.”The Minister said the government has worked for the development of the border with the development of nine Integrated Check Posts and 14 more in the process of being built.

The Minister asked senior officers to implement all the welfare programmes run by the central and state governments in all the border districts with the help of the District Collector.

“If we equip those people, who are leaving the border villages, with the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Yojana, then they get a reason to stay in the village,” Shah noted.

“If they are provided with the facilities of gas, electricity, and drinking water, then they will also feel that someone is taking care of them and they should stay here.”The Home Minister said that the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Modi to make the country self-reliant should be implemented with priority in the border areas, and in this, the security forces deployed on the country’s borders, especially the BSF, have an important role. (ANI)