India on Wednesday finished the installation of floodlights along 647km of its borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan, so as to make it more difficult for militants and illegal immigrants to infiltrate the country.
The installation of the floodlights took about one year to complete, said an Indian Home Ministry official, as quoted in a report by Outlook India.
According to the report, Rs2,138 crore (Tk2,677 crore) has been sanctioned by the Indian government for development of its borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan over the last three years.
In addition to the installation of floodlights, the funds will also go towards building 200km of fences, 430km of border roads and 110 composite border outposts, as part of a “major push” to border infrastructure and development, the Indian Home Ministry official added.
The Indian government also intends to set up more integrated check posts (ICPs) along the border to ease trade and passenger movement.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina inaugurated an ICP at the Petrapole border area in July, 2016, with the foundation for another ICP between the two countries laid at Dawki in Meghalaya in January of this year.
The total length of the India-Bangladesh border is 4,096km, while the length of the India-Pakistan border is 3,323km.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
