Republic of India - Integrated Check Posts and Border Management projects

[Hindustani78]

09-November, 2018 17:21 IST
Integrated Check Posts and Border Management projects


Indian Armed Forces Center Command Core today reviewed progress of ongoing projects being executed by the Land Ports Authority of India and the Border Management Division. There was very good progress and Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at five border crossing points out of seven approved projects have been completed.

Terminals for smooth movement of goods and people

Republic of India - Republic of Nepal Border

Integrated Check Post - Raxaul - Birgunj

• The ICP Raxaul is located at about 230 KMs north-west from the State Capital City of Patna in the State of Bihar on India-Nepal Border. Birganj is the corresponding place in Nepal. Raxaul is the most important border crossing for Nepal.
• The ICP is spread over a total area of about 216 acres.
• The Union Home Minister of India laid the foundation stone for the ICP was on 24.04.2010.
• The ICP is almost complete and is being planned to be commissioned around April 2016.
• Facilities available at the ICP Raxaul include:
  Facilities Name
  (i) Passenger Terminal (vi) Public Utilities Block (xi) Quarantine block
  (ii) Import Warehouse (vii) Public Health Unit (xii) Banks/ATM
  (iii) Export Warehouse (viii) Parking Area (xiii) Foreign Exchange Bureau
  (iv) Cargo Terminal Building (ix) Rummaging Sheds (xiv) Cafeteria
  (v) Customs Service Building (x) Weigh Bridges

Integrated Check Post - Jogbani - Biratnagar

• The ICP Jogbani is located at about 325 KMs North-East from the State Capital City of Patna in the State of Bihar on India-Nepal Border. Biratnagar is the corresponding place in Nepal.
• The ICP is spread over a total area of about 186 acres.
• The Union Home Minister of India laid the foundation stone for the ICP was on 24.06.2010.
• The ICP is nearing completion and is being planned to be commissioned in April/May 2016.
• Facilities available at the ICP Jogbani include:

Facilities Name
(i) Cargo Terminal (vi) Public Health office (xi) Weigh Bridges
(ii) Import Warehouse (vii) Public Utilities Block (xii) Banks/ATM
(iii) Export Warehouse (viii) Electric Sub Station (xiii) Foreign Exchange Bureau
(iv) Customs Service Building (ix) Parking Area for Vehicles (xiv) Cafeteria
(v) Quarantine block (x) Rummaging Sheds (xv) Dormitory Building


Republic of India - Republic of Bangladesh Border

Integrated Check Posts - Petrapole - Benapole

• The ICP Petrapole is located at about 80 KMs from the State Capital, Kolkata in the State of West Bengal on the India-Bangladesh Border. Benapole is the corresponding place in Bangladesh.
• The Union Home Minister of India laid the foundation stone for the ICP was on 19.08.2011.
• The cargo complex of ICP petrapole operationalized on 12.2.2016
• Facilities available at the ICP Petrapole include:

Facilities Details

(i) Cargo Terminal (vi) Public Health office (xi) Weigh Bridges
(ii) Import Warehouse (vii) Public Utilities Block (xii) Banks/ATM
(iii) Export Warehouse (viii) Electric Sub Station (xiii) Foreign Exchange Bureau
(iv) Customs Service Building (ix) Parking Area for Vehicles (xiv) Cafeteria
(v) Quarantine block (x) Rummaging Sheds (xv) Dormitory Building

Integrated Check Posts - Agartala - Akhaura

• Located at India-Bangladesh Border in the close vicinity of Agartala, the capital city of State of Tripura, India. This is the only ICP located in the capital city of any state and that too within the municipal area.
• Total ICP Land area 11.72 acres.
• Akhaura is the corresponding place in Bangladesh side.
• Foundation stones laid by the Union Home Minister on 17.05.2011.
• Inaugurated by the Union Home Minister on 17.11.2013.
• Facilities available at the ICP Agartala include:

Passenger Terminal Cargo Building
Warehouses Warehouses
Inspection Shed Plant Quarantine
Health Parking Facilities
Loose Cargo Area Driver Rest Area, etc.

Integrated Check Posts - Dawki - Tamabil

• The ICP is proposed to be developed at Dawki in West Jaintia Hills District in the State of Meghalaya on India-Bangladesh border. Dawki is 55 Kms. from Jowai, the District Headquarter of West Jaintia Hills District. Dawki is connected by NH 44 (extension) and NH 40 (Erstwhile Shillong Sylhet road) and is about 84 Kms from Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya. At present, Land Customs Station is operating at Dawki. Tamabil is the corresponding place in Bangladesh.
• Dawki is connected by an all weather road to Shillong and is one of the most important Land Border Crossing of the North Eastern Region of India.
• Dawki is at a vantage point for the tourists of Bangladesh who regularly come to India for visiting Shillong called as ‘The Scotland of the East’ and its neighbouring places of tourist interest.
• Total land of the proposed ICP including “Adverse Possession Land” is 23.02 acres. DER of the ICP project has been prepared and approved. Project work of the ICP is expected to commence by the second quarter of 2016.
• Facilities proposed at the ICP Dawki are:
• Trade statistics with number of cargo vehicles for the last three years through Dawki:
• Major items of Export
• Major items of Import
• Passengers movement

Most of the passengers crossing through the Dawki border are citizens from India and Bangladesh, the main purpose for their visit being business, education, medical, religious and tourism. Third country nationals also enter into India or exit from India through Dawki. The number of passengers crossing the India-Bangladesh border at Dawki is as given below:



(i) Food Items (iii) Plastic Furniture (v) Geo Textile Sheets (vii) Tissue Paper
(ii) Laundry Soap (iv) PVC Door (vi) Fire Clay Brick
(i) Coal (ii) Lime Stone (iii) Raw Hide (iv) Boulder Stone


The total approved expenditure for the seven ICPs is more than Rupees 700 crores.


Republic of India - Pakistan Border

Integrated Check Posts - Attari - Wagha

• The ICP Attari is located at about 30 Kms from the holy city of Amritsar in the State of Punjab on India-Pakistan Border. Wagha is the corresponding place in Pakistan. Attari is almost mid way between the two historical towns of Amritsar and Lahore in India and Pakistan respectively.
• The ICP Attari is spread over a total area of 118 acres.
• The Union Home Minister of India laid the Foundation Stone for the ICP was on 20.02.2010
• The ICP project was completed on 28.03.2012. The ICP was inaugurated jointly by the Union Home Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Punjab on 13.04.2012 in the presence of Commerce Minister of India and the Commerce Minister of Pakistan along with Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan.
• Facilities available at the ICP Attari are :

Name
(i) Customs Processing (xiii) Customs Service Building (xv) Weigh Bridges
(ii) Immigration clearance (ix) Quarantine block (xvi) Security & Surveillance
(iii) Passenger Terminal (x) Port Health Unit (xvii) Jatha Shed
(iv) Import Warehouse (xi) Area for loose Cargo (xviii) Banks/ATM
(v) Export Warehouse (xii) Electric Sub Station (xix) Foreign Exchange Bureau
(vi) Cold Storage (xiii) Parking (xx) Cafeteria
(vii) Cargo Terminal Building (xiv) Rummaging Sheds (xxi) Toilet block

At each Integrated Check Posts, facilities have been constructed for customs clearance, Immigration, warehouses for storage of goods, approach roads and terminal buildings to adequately handle import and export of goods and entry and exit of people.

Republic of India - Myanmar Border

Integrated Check Posts - Moreh - Tamu

Work on ICP Moreh on India-Myanmar Border

• The ICP, Moreh on India-Myammar border is located on NH-39 at distance of 110 Km from Manipur’s capital of Imphal and 70 kms from District Headquarters i.e. Chandel. Tamu is the corresponding town on the Myanmar side of the ICP, Moreh. A Land Customs Stations (LCS) already exists at Moreh for handling the existing traffic volume of trade.Moreh as a part of India's " Look East " and now "Act East" Policy is the gateway not only for myammar but also reaching Thailand, Loas, Combordia.
• The ICP is spread over a total area 38.34 acres.
• Work awarded 22.03.2013
• Commencement of work at relocated site on 13.08.2014
• Scheduled date of completion 12.08.2016
• Facilities envisaged
• Formal trade with Myanmar under the Border trade arrangement commenced in 1995. Formal Border Trade Statistics suggests that there has been a declin in the volume of trade transacted in the last fifteen years since the opening of border trade. However there has been years of sporadic rise and drastic fall in the fifteen years. Trade reached a peak of Rs. 64.83 crores in 2006-07 and Rs. 62.36 cores in 1997-98.
• Moreh will be entry point for ASIAN Highway linking India to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

At the progress of work and directed the officials to complete the pending works at an early date. He also directed the officials to take up construction of additional 13 ICPs at Hili, Jaigaon, Ghojadanga, Mahadipur, Changrabandha, Fulbari, Rupaidiha, Kawrpuichhuah, Panitanki, Sutarkandi, Sunauli, Banbasa and Bhithamore and Passenger Terminal at Petrapole.

Under the Border Management Division, projects have been taken up for construction of 18 Coastal BOPs in Gujarat and improvement of Border Floodlighting in Punjab and Rajasthan. Some Floating BOPs have also been approved in Gujarat and West Bengal. Some projects which have been pending due to issues related to acquisition of land have resumed letters to Governments of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Bihar.

Projects under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) to improve road and mobile connectivity in the border villages as well as imparting skills to the people living there have also made good progress. To improve coastal security, 121 Coastal Police Stations have been operationalised, 30 jetties have been constructed and Biometric Cards have been issued to 18.5 lakh fishermen. Shri Rajnath Singh expressed satisfaction that the newly established National Academy of Coastal Policing has started functioning at Okha, Gujarat.

 

[Hindustani78]

Special Correspondent
New Delhi, November 10, 2018 01:26 IST
Updated: November 10, 2018 01:26 IST
Indian Establishment acquired land for fencing after Minister’s letter to CM

Indian Establishment has acquired around 300 acres of land along the Republic of Bangladesh border for fencing and construction of border pillars.

The acquisition stuck for years was done after Union Home Minister shot off a letter to Bengal Chief Minister in June.

The delay in acquisition of land spread along the Republic of Bangladesh border was hindering the security grid planned by the Indian Military Center Command Core to stop illegal infiltration and smuggling. Republic of India shares a 4,096-km border with Republic of Bangladesh of which 2,216 Bengal, 263.00 kms falls in Assam, 443.00 kms falls in Meghalaya, 856.00 kms falls in Tripura, 318.00 kms falls in Mizoram.

“The last reviewed the border-related works in May when the largest acquisition was to be done in Bengal and sought her cooperation in expediting the work. Subsequently, 300 acres of land were acquired,” said a senior official.

Indian Military Center Command Core had also written regarding Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Bihar, which helped resolve pending issues related to the acquisition along the International Border.

Reviewed the progress of various projects being undertaken along the borders with China, Pakistan,Republic of Bangladesh, Republic of Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. Various border-related projects were delayed due to lack of loyality by the Politicians.

 

[Hindustani78]

New Delhi , November 25, 2018 15:55 IST
Updated: November 25, 2018 15:56 IST
Admiral Sunil Lanba said the Indian Navy is now a potent multi-dimensional force, safeguarding Republic of India’s interests in the seas.

Republic of India is better prepared and better organised since a group of sea-borne Militants struck at the heart of Mumbai 10 years back, thanks to a string of security measures including a layered maritime surveillance, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba has said.

“We have come a long way since then,” Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba told PTI in an interview in his office in South Block on the 10th anniversary of the 26/11.

The Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said “there has been a paradigm shift in coastal security as vulnerabilities and risks were fixed and a layered maritime surveillance and security architecture was put in place, making the coastline almost impregnable.”

“The country is now better prepared and better organised,” Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said when asked about possibility of terrorists taking the sea route again to mount a similar attack on Republic of India.

Indian Navy, a potent multi-dimensional force
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said the Indian Navy is now a potent multi-dimensional force, safeguarding India’s interests in the seas and that it is fully prepared to deal with any security challenge facing the country in the maritime domain.

On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani militants sneaked into Mumbai through the sea, arriving by boat from Karachi, and went on the rampage, carrying out coordinated attacks on the main Chattrapati Shivaji railway terminus, the iconic Taj Mahal hotel, the Trident hotel, and a Jewish centre — all in the heart of the financial capital’s downtown area.

Over 166 people including 28 foreigners from 10 nations were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault that sent shock-waves across the country and even brought Republic of India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

Worst strike in Indian history

The Militant strike, the worst in India’s history, was seen as an attack on the country’s sovereignty, and it exposed fault-lines in the coastal security network, intelligence gathering while also uncovering the lack of coordination among various agencies.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba who is also chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, said “critical gaps and vulnerabilities in the country’s coastal infrastructure have been addressed, and that a robust surveillance network comprising 42 radar stations linked to a control centre headquartered Gurgaon has been put in place.

“We now have a multi-layered security architecture for coastal security, involving various agencies including the Indian Coast guard and the Indian Navy,” Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said, adding that an overhaul of the coastal defence apparatus was carried out in the last few years.

The radar stations were also fitted with high-resolution cameras with a range of 10 nautical miles. Another batch of 38 radar stations is being set up to keep a hawk eye vigil on activities along India’s 7,500-kilometre coastline.

Tracking of fishing boats
The Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said that tracking the movement of thousands of fishing boats round-the-clock was a major challenge but now a mechanism has been put into place to track them. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, however, emphasised on the need to improve intelligence gathering to further tighten the existing security apparatus.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba listed colour-coding of fishing boats, their online registration and issuance of biometric cards to the fishermen as some of the important steps as part of enhancing coastal security.

The Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said data about ships, dhows, mechanized trawlers, fishing boats and all other vessels operating near India’s coasts are analysed round-the-clock.

An Information Management and Analysis Centre was set up in Gurgaon which acts as a nodal agency for national command control and intelligence sharing among the Coast Guard and the Navy, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba added.

Standard operating procedures
Standard operating procedures have been formulated for coastal and offshore security among various institutions including the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard and agencies concerned of the coastal states to streamline the efforts of multiple stakeholders.

The Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said 1,500 landing points for fishing boats are being monitored regularly besides making installation of AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders mandatory for vessels of 300 tonnes and above for their easy tracking.

As part of efforts to further beef up coastal security, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said a massive coastal security exercise, christened “Sea Vigil”, covering the entire coastline as well as island territories is being organised in January next year.

“For the first time, such a mega exercise will be held,” Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said.

There have been biannual coastal security exercises at the level of states, but for the first time an exercise involving all coastal states, island territories and all central and state agencies is being organised.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
27-November, 2018 20:59 IST
Security Restrictions on Construction Activities in Border Areas

The Security Restrictions Guidelines enunciated by Ministry of Defence on 31.10.1990, were restrictive in nature towards developmental activities near border areas. In supersession of all previous orders, fresh guidelines were issued on 27.11.2017 on security restrictions of construction activities in Border areas which are also not fully facilitating construction/developmental works of small nature in Border areas.

Keeping in view the requests of State Governments, that construction/developmental works in border areas are getting affected due to provisions listed in the MoD’s existing guidelines, Government of India has decided to allow the developmental works of small nature like construction, repair and maintenance of village ponds, construction and maintenance of Government Buildings like Schools, Hospitals etc by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and other Central/State Government Statutory bodies for faster development in border areas.

Security considerations for construction activities/other activities in border areas/ other areas issued earlier from time to time by Ministry of Defence shall not be applicable for the above mentioned development works in border areas.

AA/Nampi/Rajib

 

[Hindustani78]

27-November, 2018 16:50 IST

Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) Signs $75 Million Loan to Improve Urban Services in 4 Karnataka Towns

Government of India and the Asian Development Bank signed a $75 million loan here today to provide 24 x7 water supply in Karnataka’s four coastal towns of Kundapura, Mangalore Puttur and Udupi and improve sanitation infrastructure for Mangalore town.

The signatories to the tranche 2 loan agreement of Karnataka Integrated Urban Water Management Investment Program were Mr. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed for the Government of India, and Mr. Sabyasachi Mitra, Deputy Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB.

The Program, approved by ADB Board in 2014, aims to improve urban water resource management in selected river basins in Karnataka through modernization and expansion of urban water supply and sanitation infrastructure and strengthening institutions to improve water use efficiency, water resource planning, monitoring and service delivery. The $75 million tranche 1 loan is helping strengthen urban water supply and sanitation services in three other towns of the State - Byadagi, Davangere, and Harihar.

The investment program is supporting four coastal towns in Karnataka to provide continuous piped water supply to people, and promote efficient and sustainable use of water. It will also adopt information technology based smart water management system and undertake community awareness programs on water conservation and demand management, said Mr. Khare.

Apart from providing continuous piped water supply and improved sanitation services to nearly one million people, the Program is helping the urban local bodies to become efficient and responsive urban water utility service provider, said Mr. Mitra.

The provision of performance-based construct and operate contract (PBCOC) modality, piloted by ADB in another urban project in the state, will help ensure the sustainable water service delivery through the optimal risk allocation between the public sector and private water operator.

The project finances will be used to augment water treatment production capacity by about 16 MLD, lay about 90 kilometers of new water transmission lines and feeder mains, construct 29 overhead tanks and four ground-level service reservoirs and establish town level supervisory control and data acquisition system to strengthen the centralized supervision and control of water flow and water pressure. Other outputs include 1,300 km long distribution network and provision of about 140,000 household connections with new meters. In Mangalore, about 11 km of pumping mains will be installed to rehabilitate the sewerage system.

*****

 

[GHALIB]

Ministry of Defence
27-November, 2018 20:59 IST
Security Restrictions on Construction Activities in Border Areas

The Security Restrictions Guidelines enunciated by Ministry of Defence on 31.10.1990, were restrictive in nature towards developmental activities near border areas. In supersession of all previous orders, fresh guidelines were issued on 27.11.2017 on security restrictions of construction activities in Border areas which are also not fully facilitating construction/developmental works of small nature in Border areas.

Keeping in view the requests of State Governments, that construction/developmental works in border areas are getting affected due to provisions listed in the MoD’s existing guidelines, Government of India has decided to allow the developmental works of small nature like construction, repair and maintenance of village ponds, construction and maintenance of Government Buildings like Schools, Hospitals etc by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and other Central/State Government Statutory bodies for faster development in border areas.

Security considerations for construction activities/other activities in border areas/ other areas issued earlier from time to time by Ministry of Defence shall not be applicable for the above mentioned development works in border areas.

AA/Nampi/Rajib

Great article.