Centre approves Border Intelligence Posts along LAC, says top official

By Sahil Pathan

The BIPs will keep an eye on China’s activities including its military and weapons buildup across the Line of Actual Control as well as regular transgression and incursion attempts to change the status quo

(ARUNACHAL PRADESH): The Centre has for the first time sanctioned Border Intelligence Posts or BIPs at the Indo-China border to keep an eye on Beijing’s activities including its military and weapons buildup across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as well as regular transgression and incursion attempts to change the status quo, people familiar with the development said on Monday.

The BIPs will exclusively have intelligence officials deployed to gather and develop inputs from the LAC in collaboration with the troops of Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), agencies such as National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), etc, regarding any unusual activity of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

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“Each BIP, which will be created along with the Border outposts (BOPs) of ITBP, would have 4-5 intelligence officers with specific duties. They will submit reports to the government regarding any unusual activity,” said a top official, who didn’t want to be named.

Currently there are over 180 BOPs of ITBP at the Indo-China border from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. The government had, earlier this year, also sanctioned 47 additional border outposts and 12 staging camps of the border guarding force – also known as “Himveers” – along the LAC for which 9,400 personnel (or seven battalions) have already been approved.

The top official cited above didn’t disclose the exact number of BIPs and budget approved for it by the Centre but he said slowly all sensitive BOPs will have these specially trained intelligence officers, who will have access to latest surveillance tools.

The development comes in the wake of China flexing its muscle at the LAC, provoking India through regular attempted intrusions and its push to build up military infrastructure such as airfields and missile sites on the other side of the border.

The two sides have been in a face-off at several points at the LAC since June 2020 clash in Galwan Valley in Ladakh. On December 9 last year, PLA troops also intruded in Yangste in Arunachal Pradesh which led to a clash resulting in injuries to soldiers on both sides.

Since the Indo-China border is not fully demarcated, and both sides have different perceptions of the LAC; the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops often transgress into the disputed area.

Following Galwan and Yangste, the Indian government has not only ramped up its infrastructure at the LAC but has also introduced schemes for the development of the border villages.

The difference could be seen in Mago, the first village on the border with China in Chuna sector in West Arunachal, visited by TIN on Monday. Till 2020, Mago had no road connectivity and the winter supplies for army and ITBP were dropped via helicopters but a black top road has since been built right till the border, allowing armed forces to move vehicles, artillery and troops.

The border villages are being developed by providing them roads, mobile connectivity and round the clock electricity through hydro power projects being built by the Arunachal Pradesh government at a large scale. This work is expected to accelerate under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP), which was announced by Union home minister Amit Shah in April.

Speaking at a cultural function at Mago, organised to boost the troops’ morale, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said that out of 665 villages in first phase of VVP, 453 are in Arunachal Pradesh only. “The army and ITBP have a major role to play in developing these border villages. We are building roads till the end, we have built advance landing grounds and efforts are on to increase tourism. For troops, facilities are being reoriented like temporary sheds are being replaced with permanent structures. The army and ITBP camps will get electricity from hydro power projects”.

Army officials deployed in Tawang and Chuna in Arunachal Pradesh, who didn’t want to be named, said currently the situation is peaceful in the region after last year’s Yangste clash and they have regular commander level meetings with their PLA counterparts.

Meanwhile, both Army and ITBP are currently in the process of stocking the supplies ahead of winter season, when the entire region will be covered by snow and temperature could drop up to minus 20 degrees.

Speaking at the same function, Union minister for earth sciences Kiren Rijiju said on Monday – “The country is safe when the borders are safe. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, now not a single border village is left where vehicles cannot reach. These border villages were neglected earlier. I assure you, that in next six months, all border villages will also have 4G connectivity”.

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Rijiju also asserted that a concept paper on how to implement the Vibrant Village Programme has already been sent to the MHA and work has already begun at large scale.

Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda, who visited Mago to encourage jawans, said “Army, ITBP and state government are doing great work to secure our borders. They are standing firm against any threat”.