Border out post@resource centre for border population

Abstract

India shares a long land border of 15106.7 Km with its seven neighbouring countries and most of the border and its population are underdeveloped. Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan border are not different in this context. Rather this 2450 km of Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan border is very sensitive as well as unique in nature in many ways. It was the Kargil War, which proved to be the turning point for redesigning and tactical planning for all border and its management. On recommendation of group of minister, Government of India assigned SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) the duty to guard Indo Nepal and Indo Bhutan border. Border development, and its economies, is backbone of livelihood of all inhabitant of border. Being sentinel of Indo Nepal and Indo Bhutan Border, it s not only guarding its border, but these border men are also being given equal opportunity, for organising various welfare activities across the year. To give special emphasis on border area development, Government of India introduced Border Area Development Programme. BADP is a major intervention strategy of the Central Government to bring about comprehensive development of border areas by supplementing the State Plan Funds to bridge the gaps in socio-economic infrastructure on one hand and improving the security environment in border areas on the other. BADP scheme coverage is extended to all 96 border districts of India. In other hand, all four Border Guarding Force(BGF) are doing civic action program, at their respective border, with funding from Government of India. As per finding of The Planning Evaluation Organisation (PEO) report No 229 June 2015, 80% inhabitant of the States covered under the study are not satisfied with the impact of BADP. Being at border, Border Guarding Force feels the pain of its people but compatibly fails to meet people s aspiration through its ongoing welfare activity with limited budget and little time left to implement the program, due to over increasing commitment for additional duty. The objective of the civic action program is to win the heart of border population and bringing them to main stream , by organising various need based welfare activities and Perception management programs. Despite of all efforts from government of India, economic condition of border has not much improved till date. The main objective of this policy paper is to evaluate the coverage, reach, total fund spending, and utilization of resource, in term of quantity and quality by comparing the traditional civic action program, and explore an effective way to induce growth in society, and promoting sense of security among the people living in the border areas. In this study, it would be tried to measure success, or failure, of current policy, and the opportunities to deliver better than the best. Here an effort would also be put to go inside the mind of stakeholder by sample survey to analyse the needs of border population, and capability of force in meeting people s aspiration for building strong Nation by securing international border.