BSF jawans in Sunderbans, Kutch to get hardship allowance

Dehradun: BSF jawans deployed in Sunderbans in West Bengal and Rann of Kutch in Gujarat will be given a hardship allowance every month considering the difficult circumstances in which they work, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said.Making the announcement after laying the foundation stones of BSF and SSB battalion headquarters at Sitarganj in Uttarakhand, Shinde praised paramilitary forces for the role played by them in every field.“The work of Central police forces is commendable at all levels. Forces like BSF and SSB don't just guard our frontiers but also offer priceless service to people during a natural calamity,” Shinde said.The soldiers of paramilitary forces would be given canteen facilities like the armed forces, he said. The setting up of SSB and BSF battalion headquarters in Uttarakhand is important considering the strategic location of the state which shares boundaries with countries like China and Nepal.It will also generate new employment opportunities for locals as priority would be given to the youths of the state in BSF and SSB recruitments, Shinde said. Speaking on the occasion, the Home Minister extended his condolences to the family of those who lost their lives in the mid June calamity in Uttarakhand.Appreciating the efforts of the Uttarakhand government post the crisis, he said it was the largest ever rescue operation conducted in the country and said it deserved a pat on the back for carrying it out very swiftly. Shinde assured that the Centre would support the state government in any disaster relief work. Being built at an estimated cost of Rs 265 crore, the BSF and SSB battalion headquarters are likely to come up at Sitarganj in a year.Shinde also laid the foundation stones of Sirsa-Shakti Farm Road to be built at the cost of Rs 54.78 crore and Vijti Road worth Rs 31 crore.Speaking at the programme, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna expressed gratitude to the Home Minister for setting up BSF and SSB battalion headquarters in Uttarakhand. Bahuguna also spoke of the steps being taken by the state government to put life back on track in the disaster-hit areas of rain-ravaged Uttarakhand.“The state is gradually recovering from the pangs of the colossal tragedy. Reconstruction and rehabilitation work is being carried out on a war footing with necessary cooperation from the Centre to help people resume their normal lives,” he said.Bahuguna also demanded declaration of forest villages of Lauka and Gautha as revenue villages and provision of canteen services for the paramilitary forces.BSF Director General Subhash Joshi said the force is responsible for securing more than 7,400 kms of the country's borders and highlighted its role in the wars of 1965, 1971 and the Kargil conflict with Pakistan.He said the new BSF battalion headquarters would help soldiers deployed in remote areas keep their families here. SSB Director General Krishan Chaudhary thanked the Chief Minister for providing a site for the SSB Battalion. He said 70 SSB chowkis are guarding the country's 264 km border with Nepal besides being involved in several welfare activities.Also present on the occasion were State Disaster Management Minister Yashpal Arya, former Minister Tilak Raj Behad and Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma. The Home Minister later visited Doiwala about 22 km from Dehradun and laid the foundation stones of a BSF Adventure and Advanced Training Institute and headquarters of the newly-constituted State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) at Dudhli village.The SDRF was raised in Uttarakhand recently on the lines of the NDRF in the wake of the mid June calamity which caused largescale damage to the state.