BSF conducts civic action programme at Balupara BOP

BALURGHAT: A civic action programme was organised by Border Security Force's 199 Battalion at Balupara border outpost on Wednesday. According to a senior BSF official, the programme was started at 10 and continued till 2 pm.

Around 16 schools along with an orphanage institution located at India-Bangaldesh border were given essential stationary items amounting to Rs 2.65 lakh to enhance an overall quality of basic education infrastructure in the border area. A large number of representatives from the schools apart from school students and local representatives of adjacent Panjul and Hili also attended the programme and appreciated BSF's initiatives.

"This has been a great job initiated by the BSF. The people residing in villages close to Indo-Bangladesh border have financial limitations. The BSF's effort will meet their primary requirements. The stationary items mainly for educational purpose to the students have been distributed by the BSF officials. It has enormous humanitarian aspect," said a local Soumitra Sarkar.

Meanwhile, BSF's 199 Battalion also had taken initiative to arrange employment training for the unemployed youths residing in border villages so that they get employed.

Over the past few years, the BSF has been maintaining close connection with the border people and helps in restricting cross border smuggling or illegal activities. In Tapan, during the month of April-May while there was an acute water crisis, the BSF used to supply drinking water for the locals.

Officiating commandant and second in command of BSF's 199 Battalion, D K Singh who had chaired the programme, said: "The principal objective of arranging such programmes is to provide a sense of security amongst border people. Our Battalion organises similar programmes frequently. Today's Civic Action Programme helps to enhance overall basic standard of living and the little school goers' education."

Notably, the border population is being an important stakeholder in the entire process of border management.

"It is also pertinent that they should be taken along in the development process," Singh said. It is true that the border people have been residing with tremendous financial crunch and compulsions following which they urgently need economic support. The Mamata Banerjee government has already undertaken many benevolent tasks extending their aid and support.