Apprehensions Of Bengal, Punjab Ill-Founded: MHA To Lok Sabha On Extension Of BSF Jurisdiction

The Home Ministry said that though West Bengal and Punjab have claimed that the move encoaches the powers of state governments but "their apprehensions are ill-founded".

Home Minister Amit Shah (Image Source: PTI)

New Delhi: In a written response to Lok Sabha today, Ministery of Home Affairs said that the extension of territorial jurisdiction of BSF would result in better and more effective control on trans-border crimes in conjunction and co-operation with State Police.

The Home Ministry further said that though West Bengal and Punjab have claimed that the move encoaches the powers of state governments but their apprehensions are ill-founded.

"Govt of West Bengal and Govt of Punjab have expressed their apprehension that such a move encroaches upon the powers of the State Government. Their apprehensions are ill-founded", said MHA in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

The ministry was responding to Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajda Ahmed’s question asking if the government was considering a rollback of its October 11 notification, which standardised the jurisdictional area under BSF to 50 km in the border states of Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat and Assam for the purpose of making arrests and conducting search and seizure operations.

The opposition parties, especially the Congress and Trinamool Congress were protesting against the government's move and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even met the Prime Minister last week asking him to reconsider his decision.

Speaking to ANI, BSF director general Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Tuesday that BSF will not act as parallel police in the states where its jurisdiction has been extended by the Centre.

He said, "BSF’s jurisdiction has primarily been extended only in respect of the powers it enjoys under the Passport (Entry into India) Act and the Passport Act. It is for those who are found violating border entry rules. Infiltration was a big issue, due to which Tripura and Assam witnessed agitations and several Bengal districts have gone through demographic change."