Enhanced jurisdiction will help strengthen hands of state police, says BSF
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday said the enhanced jurisdiction would help the BSF strengthen the hands of the police.
"The enhanced jurisdiction will help the BSF strengthen the hands of the police. This is an enabling provision, which is aimed at strengthening and complementing the efforts of the state police. The BSF has been acting in close coordination with the police to conduct joint operations, including joint depth area patrolling and nakas," reads the statement issued by the BSF.
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"The BSF has no policing powers, as it does not have powers to register FIRs or to carry out investigations. Any seizure or apprehension made have to be handed over to the state police or any other law enforcement agency. The state police jurisdiction continues to be till international boundary. Synergy with all state agencies is being maintained by the BSF for maintaining security at International Border," the statement added.
The Centre, earlier in the month of October, had empowered the BSF to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures up to an area of 50 km inside the Indian territory from International Border (IB) along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
The BSF, which was only empowered to take action up to 15 km in the states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Assam, has now been authorised to extend its jurisdiction up to 50 km without any hurdle or permission either from the Central or state governments.
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However, its jurisdiction has been cut short by 20 km in the five northeastern states-- Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya-- where it had jurisdiction up to 80 km. Similarly in Gujarat, the BSF's jurisdiction has been curtailed from 80 to 50 km. In Rajasthan, the BSF's area of jurisdiction will remain the same at 50 km.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said like Punjab, they were also protesting against the Centre's decision to increase search and arrest jurisdiction of the BSF in border states.
-PTC News
