Increasing BSF’s jurisdiction does not affect state govt or police: former BSF chief

New Delhi, Oct 14 (UNI) As center’s decision to extend the jurisdiction of BSF in three states – Punjab, West Bengal and Assam created a controversy, former BSF DG Prakash Singh said the decision does not dilute the authority of the state government or police.

As the Home Ministry issued a notification revising jurisdiction of the Border Security Force in states, objections were raised by the state governments in Punjab and West Bengal, while the Assam government welcomed the decision.

Singh, who has served as the police chief of two of the largest states of India – Uttar Pradesh and Assam, and also commanded the BSF, explained that under the earlier arrangement, the BSF had been given jurisdiction across the border states like Ngaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura, upto 80 kms from the border in Gujarat, 50 kms in Rajasthan, while Punjab, Assam and Meghalaya had the jurisdiction till 15 kms of the border.

“No change has been made for the states of northeast… Among the three states which have now become controversial, Assam has not objected. From Punjab and West Bengal we are getting discordant notes that this is an attack on federal structure,” Singh told UNI.

“The point is in context of whatever has happened in the recent past in the Af-Pak region, and the boost it has given to the morale of terrorist groups, there are renewed fresh attempts to destabilize Punjab and they would renew attempts to create problems in Assam,” he said. He said the move does not affect the powers of state governments and police.

“It is not that the jurisdiction and powers of the state police have reduced; they remain as they are. BSF would be only supplementing their efforts. If there is a communal riot, a disturbance or law and order problem you are calling these very forces…” he said.

“BSF will supplement the efforts of the state government in limited ways.

It is not challenging the state government’s authority in any way. The issue is being politicised. Police across states are in a very fragile state, they are not very effective. Most of the time they are busy carrying out diktat of their political masters,” the retired IPS officer added.

Asked about lack of consultation with states, he said, “It would have been better if they would have consulted the states. But let me also tell you the states would not have agreed.”

He added that the states as per Indian federal structure of governance derive their authority from the center, and the Union Government had the right to take security related decisions.

The Centre has amended the BSF Act and the new jurisdiction of BSF now includes “whole of the area comprised in the States of Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya and Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, and a belt of fifty kilometers in the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

Section 139 of the Border Security Force Act, 1968, gives Center the power to notify the area and extent of operation of BSF. It gives the force the power to apprehend any persons who are committing any offence in that area.