BALURGHAT: A free medical camp was organised by Border Security Force's 122 Battalion at Dakuhara border outpost on Sunday. According to a senior BSF official, the programme started at 10 and continued until 2 pm.
A total of 276 villagers from villages such as Abhirampur, Haribanshapur, Tarajpur, Pahandpur, Dakmalcha, Sandhyapukur and Maldanga located at India-Bangaldesh border were distributed medical aids, medicines and other health related items for free amounting to Rs 50,000.
A large number of villagers from seven villages attended the programme and appreciated the initiatives.
"BSF's initiative to conduct a free medical camp for the villagers is great.
The BSF officials have also distributed medicines free of cost to the ailing people as most residing close to the border areas face financial problems and can not purchase costly medicines," said a local
Bishnu Sarkar.
Deputy Commandant of BSF's 122 Battalion, Gautam Singh who had inaugurated the programme,
said: "A qualified doctor took part in the medical camp. On the basis of his prescriptions after examining the ailing villagers, medicines have been distributed. This has been a part of Civic Action Programme and its chief aim is to provide a sense of security amongst the border people."
Notably, BSF's 122 Battalion conducted similar drives recently as the border population is an important stakeholder in the entire process of border management.
According to Singh, maintaining close connection with the border people also helps to curb cross-border smuggling and illegal cattle trading particularly
at night.
"Apart from tightening the security in the border area, we have our target to keep close connection with the villagers. Recently, we have undertaken several tasks for the overall development of the border people," Singh added.