Amritsar: Village defence committees help BSF keep tabs on smuggling of arms, drugs

GS Paul

Amritsar, January 30

Village defence committees (VDCs) have been deputed in a 15 km rural belt in Amritsar bordering Pakistan to assist the Border Security Force (BSF), the Punjab Police and other security agencies in strengthening border security and curb infiltration and smuggling of drugs and arms.

Village police officers attached

• DIG, Border Range, Narinder Bhargav said the VDCs played a vital role in providing information to check illegal drugs and arms networks
• He said to strengthen the VDCs, armed village police officers had been attached to make these secure and functional

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said at least 272 villages falling in the border belt of Ajnala, Lopoke and Amritsar II subdivisions had VDCs.

VDC members, whose efforts yielded the desired results, were honoured during the Republic Day programme. The VDC of Ghonewal village in Ajnala block was declared the winner and got the first prize of Rs 3 lakh, followed by the VDC of Rania village, which got Rs 2 lakh, and the VDCs of Dhanoe Khurd and Hardoratta villages in Attari block, which jointly got Rs 1 lakh for good performance.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, during his multiple visits to the border areas of six districts — Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Fazilka and Ferozepur last year — had advocated setting up of VDCs.

Deputy Inspector General, Border Range, Narinder Bhargav said the VDCs played a vital role in providing information to check illegal drugs and arms networks.

The VDCs also include the village patwari, panchayat secretary, sarpanch, panchayat members, nambardar and representatives of the Punjab Police and the BSF. In addition, village youth club members, ex-servicemen can also be incorporated.

“If needed, we also provide arms to VDC members. Their arms licences are made on priority. The VDCs comprise 10-20 members. The figure can be higher depending upon the area. The village police officers hold period meetings with the VDCs, SHOs and SP-level officers,” Bhargav said.

All border villages on zero line are being listed district-wise. In the Amritsar border range, 106 villages are within 2 km of zero line, 148 villages within 2 to 5 km and 188 villages within 5 to 10 km.

A list of smugglers, drug peddlers, anti-social elements and POs, along with their criminal record of the past 10 years and phone numbers, has been prepared.