Punjab Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh on Tuesday condemned the Centre's decision to enhance the BSF's jurisdiction from existing 15 km to 50 km of the international border, saying that it will create a "fear psychosis."
"It doesn't look good. It is an injustice to Punjab. I condemn it," he said.
"I condemn the decision taken by the centre about the BSF jurisdiction and it is not good for Punjab. It will create a fear psychosis. It will affect trade and businesses. It is already a landlocked state with other problems," said Singh.
"Funds were given to the north-eastern states as they are border states. We demand the same for Punjab," he said.
Earlier on October 13, the Ministry of Home Affairs empowered the BSF to conduct searches, arrest suspects and make seizures upto an area of 50 km inside Indian territory from the International Border (IB) along India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
As per the fresh order, the BSF, which was only empowered to take action up to 15 kilometres in the states of Punjab, West Bengal and Assam, has now been authorised to have jurisdiction up to 50 km without any hurdle or further permission either from central or state governments.
However, its jurisdiction has been cut short by 20 km in the five northeastern states-- Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya-- where it had jurisdiction up to 80 km.Similarly in Gujarat, the BSF's jurisdiction has been curtailed from 80 to 50 km. In Rajasthan, the BSF's area of jurisdiction will remain the same at 50 km.
( With inputs from ANI )
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