Grand Plan Gone Waste?

Border gadgets worth Rs.86 cr sinks in Brahmaputra. 

When CIBMS (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System) was included into the border management plan, it was to enable the BSF to equip the India-Bangladesh border with different kinds of sensors in the unfenced riverine stretches of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The CIBMS concept involved integrating manpower, sensors and command and control to improve "situational awareness and facilitate quick response to emerging situations".

While CIBMS's major component is the 'virtual fence', its second part is the command and control structure which aims to optimise the use of resources for border management and the third component is power management to keep CIBMS running.

Vital Statistics

4,096.7 km is the total length of the India-Bangladesh border.

Of that 3,112.18 km has physical fencing.

Physical and non-physical barriers comprising of technological solutions covers 984.52 km.   

* Border with the NE states

   West Bengal              2,216.7 km

   Tripura                         856 km

   Mizoram                      318 km

   Meghalaya                   443 km

   Assam                          263 km

The project to secure the Assam's riverine stretch on the Brahmaputra to prevent cross-border crime, illegal immigration from Bangladesh and cattle smuggling in Dhubri district  of Assam was conceived in 2017 and named BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Techniques). In 2018, BSF's information and technology wing began executing the project and completed it in record time with technical support from various manufacturers and suppliers. On 05 Mar 2019, the project was inaugurated with a lot of fanfare by the then Home Minister Rajnath Singh

However, the following observations were put up by the BSF to its headquarters viz. :-

* Many equipment still to be put to use even after a long time and

* Sub-standard equipment were procured.

Last year, an internal audit carried out by a Guwahati-based IG of BSF described the BOLD-QIT as a 'failed project'.

Consequently, gadgets worth Rs.86 cr like thermal imagers, infra-red and laser-based intruder alarms, ground sensors have not been exploited to their maximum capacity!

Courtesy. The NIE.

My take

A bad show, if true. Corrective steps need to be taken forthwith! 

Tailpiece.

Got up at a 20' past 6, the chores and was ready by a 20' past 10. Went to town for getting utensils repaired, pay the booking amount for Indirakutty for her 'Narayaneeyam recital' on 09 Jul and to pick up grocery from the department store.

Cleared up pending work.