New Delhi [India], May 9 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that India has formulated a new policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strengthen our relations and trade with all the countries of South Asia.
He also noted that India's border policy lays great emphasis on the issue of trade under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
"India's land border of over 15,000 kilometres touches seven countries and under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, a new policy has been formulated to strengthen our relations and trade with all the countries of South Asia," Shah said after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of various development projects of Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) and Border Security Force (BSF) in West Bengal.
He said that earlier there was "paucity" on the issues of border infrastructure, connectivity, trade, people-to-people connectivity and border village development, and that "now under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, border infrastructure developing, connectivity and trade with other countries is increasing."
"Along with this, people-to-people connectivity is also improving and border villages are being developed as the first village of the country, under the border village development programme," Shah said.
Stating that the government's border security policy is very clear and precise, the Minister said the central government is working on building "strong infrastructure in border areas and efforts are being made to provide benefits of welfare schemes in border villages like other villages of the country, while also improving connectivity in these villages".
He said that by promoting land trade, the government is making efforts to spread business, industry and a message of vocal for locals in the border villages.
Shah said that the development of land ports is not only important for fulfilling Prime Minister Modi's dream of India becoming a 5 trillion dollar economy but also for ensuring good relations with the neighbouring countries.
He said that the LPAI is moving forward by working like an ambassador with India's neighbouring countries and several initiatives have been taken for the LPAI in the last five years.
Shah said, "Port Automation System, Land Port Management System, Land Port Digital Security and Monitoring System, Digital Port Asset Management System, Suvidha Portal, an Integrated Check Post at Attari and providing passenger amenities at the Agartala Land Port are among the initiatives taken for the LPAI."
He said that the LPAI has taken several initiatives and achieved all the objectives of its establishment.
Speaking about the role of the BSF, the Minister said from the snowy peaks to the desert and from the land border to the Bay of Bengal, the force has left no stone unturned to protect our land and borders everywhere.
He said that the security of India's land borders cannot be imagined without BSF, adding, "When BSF personnel are posted on the border, nobody worries about the security of the nation's land borders."
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