In a bid to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid along the International Border (IB), Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police R R Swain announced that village defence guards - VDGs will be equipped with weapons and night vision devices.
The DGP, along with senior police and BSF officers, met with village defence guards to establish a close rapport and further strengthen the anti-infiltration mechanism. The meeting aimed to lay down standard operating procedures for the smooth functioning of the guards in close coordination with the BSF and police.
“The meeting aimed to establish a close rapport with the VDGs to further strengthen the anti-infiltration grid. Without people’s support, optimum results cannot be achieved in normal policing and law enforcement and likewise, the assistance of VDG would play a key role in countering infiltration,” the J-K police chief told reporters after the meeting.
The guards will also be rewarded suitably for their efforts. This move aims to create a new level of difficulty for the enemy and prevent cross-border threats.
The border residents have a history of working with security forces and police to safeguard the country from cross-border threats. The DGP praised the youth of the border villages for their support, stating that they will play a key role in countering infiltration.
“The youth of the border villages are with us and we will create a new level of difficulty for the enemy,” Swain said.
The Director General of Police along with Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier, D K Boora, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Anand Jain, DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, Sunil Gupta and SSP, Samba Vinay Sharma visited border village Rajpura in Samba and held meeting with VDGs.
The police chief also mentioned that the work of the village defence guards is voluntary service, but the police are open to accommodating them as special police officers or constables in the force using special powers, based on demonstrative conspicuous gallantry. The guards will continue to work in the "depth areas" with border police posts, and the BSF will raise an alert in case of any suspicious movement.
“We will strengthen the synergy, equip them with weapons and night vision devices, and also reward them suitably,” he said, referring to the meeting with the VDGs.
“The BSF on noticing any suspicious movement will raise an alert and the police along with VDGs will respond in a well-coordinated manner.”
In response to a question on the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in Kokernag woods in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the DGP said, “We still expect that we will be able to get them and take the operation to its logical conclusion.”
Two army personnel and a civilian were killed and five others including a civilian were injured in a fierce gunfight in the forest area when security forces launched a search operation following information about the presence of terrorists on Saturday.
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