Ministerial group gets report on border management

NEW DELHI, AUG 29: The group of ministers GoM appointed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to look into various aspects of national security today received a voluminous report on border management. Chairman of the task force on border management, former Home Secretary Madhav Godbole, submitted the report to the GoM, which is headed by Union Home Minister L.K. Advani.

A Home Ministry spokesperson held that the report 8212; running into 499 pages 8212; contains in-depth analyses of 8220;issues like border-fencing, safeguarding of air space, checking infiltration and smuggling activities, restructuring of para-military forces guarding the borders and adoption of modern technology as a force multiplier8221;.

The report, the spokesperson added, also contains contains separate chapters on land borders, maritime borders and island territories, illegal immigration, citizenship, passport, immigration and refugee law.

Soon after Vajpayee formed the GoMs in April, Advani in turn set up four task forces. These have been asked to deal with internal security, defence management, border management and intelligence apparatus.

One of the tasks of the GoM is to consider the recommendations of Subhramanyam committee on Kargil and come out with concrete proposals for its implementation.