Panels to probe illegal constructions on border districts

Jaisalmer: Following a high-level meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah in Bikaner on May 26, Rajasthan’s five border districts have constituted district- and village-level committees to tighten security near the international border with Pakistan.During the meeting, district collectors, SPs, the BSF and other security agencies were instructed to strengthen arrangements in border areas and build a district-specific 360-grid security system.District collectors have initiated an in-depth survey of illegal constructions and occupations within a 0- to 50-km radius of the international border. The committees will examine multiple parameters, including the location and nature of unauthorised structures, possible encroachments and the sources of money used for such activity. They will scrutinise excessive or suspicious bank transactions that may indicate illegal funding, including possible foreign links.Jaisalmer district collector Anupama Jorwal confirmed that a district-level committee was formed Thursday, comprising officers from stakeholder departments and revenue officials. A rural-level committee has been constituted, comprising the patwari, police personnel, the tehsildar from the colonisation department and other local officials. The teams began fieldwork Friday and are visiting sites, verifying documents and checking the validity of claims connected to any illegal occupation or construction.Jorwal said a key focus of the campaign is to identify who commissioned the constructions and where the funds originated. The administration will seek support from the Intelligence Bureau, the BSF and other agencies to determine whether any foreign assistance was involved and to identify individuals or networks behind the activity.She said the issue is highly sensitive from a national security perspective and that the survey report will be forwarded to the state govt for further decisions.Banking data is also being examined. Information is being collected from SBI and other banks to detect unusual inflows or large transactions linked to constructions in the border belt, as well as abnormal activity in individual accounts.To strengthen on-ground surveillance, the district administration is developing a local information network involving patwaris, cattle herders, ex-servicemen and Anganwadi workers so that suspicious activity or new encroachments can be reported quickly.Barmer district collector Chinmayi Gopal said similar committees have been formed in her district, and the survey began Friday. She added that while the initial plan covered a 0- to 15-km radius, the state govt later expanded the scope to a 0- to 50-km radius.