HM Shah Orders Zero-Tolerance Border Security in Gujarat

• Amit Shah chaired high-level border security review in Bhuj
• Directed strict action against illegal infiltrators and encroachments
• Security Coordination Groups to be formed in border districts
• Called for tighter monitoring of hawala, shell firms and drone threats

GG News Bureau
Bhuj, 30th May: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday directed authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal infiltration, unauthorized encroachments, hawala networks and radicalisation activities in Gujarat’s border districts while reviewing security arrangements along the India-Pakistan border.

Chairing a high-level security review meeting in Bhuj, Shah said border fencing, strengthened maritime security and the Gujarat government’s political resolve had transformed the state’s security landscape, resulting in the complete cessation of infiltration and cross-border smuggling.

The meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, senior state officials, district magistrates and police chiefs from border districts including Kutch, Vav-Tharad and Patan.

Shah stressed that all unauthorized encroachments within a 15-kilometre radius of the international border must be removed and called for constant vigilance on centres of radicalisation operating in border regions.

Describing demographic changes in border districts as a major challenge, the Home Minister instructed district magistrates to closely monitor and regularly report such developments. He also welcomed reverse migration to border areas driven by industrial growth and employment opportunities.

The Home Minister directed local administrations to develop district-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to address challenges related to illegal infiltration, drone activity and narcotics trafficking. He said all officials, from police stations to revenue authorities, must work together to identify and facilitate the deportation of illegal infiltrators already settled in the region.

To strengthen coordination among enforcement agencies, Shah ordered the formation of Security Coordination Groups in every border district. These groups will include representatives from the Border Security Force, Indian Coast Guard, Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate and banking authorities.

He also called for intensified monitoring of hawala transactions, suspicious financial dealings, mule accounts, shell companies, suspicious vehicles and GST collections in border districts. The Income Tax Department, in coordination with the Reserve Bank of India, was asked to undertake extensive survey drives in these areas.

Shah further emphasised the importance of coastal security due to Gujarat’s proximity to the International Maritime Boundary Line and directed authorities to maintain close coordination with the Coast Guard.

The Home Minister also instructed officials to ensure complete saturation of all Central and State government welfare schemes in border villages alongside the implementation of the Vibrant Villages Programme.

He said robust border management requires coordinated efforts between security agencies, civil administration and financial enforcement bodies to address both conventional and emerging security threats.