Amit Shah orders demolition of illegal structures within 15 km of borders
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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed authorities to strictly enforce a “zero tolerance” policy against illegal constructions within 15 km of India’s international borders, ordering the demolition of all such structures that have come up over the years.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has also assigned enhanced responsibility to district magistrates to ensure legal and financial compliance of banking transactions in border areas. This includes monitoring banks, verifying large business establishments, examining funding sources, tracking mule accounts and shell companies, identifying fake Aadhaar cards, and curbing cross-border smuggling, officials said.
Shah chaired a high-level security review meeting in Bikaner on Tuesday, assessing security-related issues in Rajasthan’s border districts along the India-Pakistan frontier. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, senior state officials, and district magistrates and superintendents of police from five border districts — Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Sri Ganganagar and Phalodi — attended the meeting.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said border districts have been instructed to conduct in-depth studies into the sources, patterns, and networks behind crime and drug trafficking, and develop long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.
Shah stressed the need for a 360-degree security framework for every border district, involving citizens, state agencies, and security forces. He also called for strict enforcement of the zero tolerance policy against illegal constructions, particularly within 0 to 15 km of internal borders, and their demolition.
He emphasised a coordinated border management approach involving the Border Security Force, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Narcotics Control Bureau, and state machinery to tackle infiltration, drug smuggling, encroachment, terror financing, and other cross-border crimes.
The Home Minister also highlighted the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP)-II to strengthen last-mile governance, address infrastructural gaps, curb economic crimes, and support border populations.
He directed authorities to ensure 100 per cent saturation of government welfare schemes in border villages and urged effective use of the ‘1930’ cybercrime helpline to combat cyber offences.
A review of these measures will be conducted after two months, the statement added, with Shah instructing districts to ensure result-oriented action.
With PTI inputs
