Punjab Governor to visit border districts again

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit to visit border districts to address drug and weapon smuggling concerns from Pakistan.

After repeatedly expressing his concern over drugs and weapons being pushed from Pakistan across the border into Indian territory using drones and other means, Governor Banwarilal Purohit will again be visiting the five districts along the International Border in Punjab from February 20. This will be the Governor’s sixth visit to the border areas in the past two-and-a-half years.

Mr. Purohit is slated to visit Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Taran Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka districts, where he will hold meetings with Central agencies and State government officials to review the progress made since his previous visit, and to address any new issues.

During his upcoming four-day visit, the Governor is expected to focus on improving coordination between Central and State agencies to eliminate bottlenecks, particularly in border infrastructure, security, and combating smuggling and drug trafficking.

The purpose of Mr. Purohit’s visits has been to evolve a robust mechanism to strengthen security in these districts by involving local residents, against the backdrop of frequent smuggling of drugs and weapons into Indian territory.

The Governor’s agenda also includes interactions with Village Defence Committees. “These engagements aim to glean ground-level insights and feedback from various public representatives and the press, enabling issues pertinent to the border areas to be addressed effectively at both the central and state government levels,” an official statement said.

In his previous visits, the Governor had sought the cooperation of villagers in becoming the “eyes and ears” of the security forces, and tip-off the police and security agencies if they came across nefarious activities. Mr. Purohit has said that while the security forces were doing their part, “local input and support” could go a long way in checking the influx of contraband and weapons into the State.