A scheduled Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) of Indian and Chinese soldiers was conducted today on the Chinese side at Damai.
The Indian delegation was led by Colonel Dheeraj Kotwal and the Chinese side was led by Colonel Gao Jian Ming, a defence spokesman said here today.
The BPM commenced by saluting the national flags of both countries followed by the address of the delegation leaders. Both sides highlighted the importance of such meetings for maintenance of peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The BPM mechanism in Kibithu-Damai sector was a positive step towards enhancing interaction between the border guarding troops of the area, the spokesman said, adding, the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment.
The delegations parted with a feeling of commitment towards enhancing cooperation and maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to uphold the agreements and protocols signed between their governments to maintain peace and tranquillity along the borders, the spokesman added.
The Home Ministry also recently constituted a team under
former Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to suggest measures to further fortify defence mechanisms along IB, especially against infiltration.
It is widely understood that the terrorists who attacked the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot early this year had infiltrated through the IB, possibly in Bamial area in Punjab.
BSF has been deployed along LoC since 1965 under the command of the army while it works independently at IB running across Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Punjab as the 'First Line of Defence'.
Officials said a proposal is also being prepared to deploy Assam Rifles personnel at LoC posts which will be vacated by BSF as they will no longer be tasked with the security of the Indo-Myanmar border, a task expected to go to another border guarding force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"As ITBP does not have adequate number of battalions at present to effectively guard the new task at Myanmar border, its units from Ladakh deployed along the 3,488-km China border could be thinned out and replaced by Assam Rifles," a senior paramilitary official said.
