BSF troops deployed in the far- flung stretches of the marshy Rann of Kutch area along the Indo-Pakistan border in Gujarat will soon have better communication links as new roads, a railway line and phone links are proposed to be established.
"Along the 400-kms of border in the Rann area, seven roads are coming up. A railway line is also proposed. There are plans to have 50 helipads where quick landing and take-off facilities will be made for force personnel," BSF Inspector General (Gujarat) Santosh Mehra told a group of visiting journalists at the forces' frontier headquarters here.
He said authorities have taken cognisance of difficulties faced by the jawans working in the inhospitable region and "things are moving at a fast pace" to provide the personnel, tasked with security of the marshy and saline frontier, with better connectivity and communication links.
"Things are moving at a very fast pace in the Rann area. We are seized of the issues and can assure that all that could be done is done fast," he said.
"The challenge is to ensure better connectivity in these areas and that is a priority for us. We are developing underground cabling systems. Money has been sanctioned by the government for all these border outposts including floating posts (along the disputed waters) so that they can have a higher level of connectivity.
"This is in addition to satellite phones that we have in the posts in the Rann area along the Indo-Pakistan border," the IG said.
"We have also requested, including through the Union Home Ministry, BSNL to aggressively carry out feasibility studies in all border areas here to have greater plans, modern infrastructure by BSNL that is also going on...," he said.
