J&K Police, BSF focusing on co-ordination with VDGs to check infiltration along IB

Samba/Jammu, Aug 11 (PTI) Village defence guards will be equipped with weapons and night vision devices, and “rewarded suitably” to shore up the anti-infiltration grid along the International Border (IB) by creating “a new level of difficulty for the enemy”, Jammu and Kashmir DGP R R Swain said on Sunday.

He said that standard operating procedures will be laid for the smooth functioning of the village defence guards (VDGs) in close coordination with the BSF and the police.

The DGP was speaking after he along with senior police and BSF officers met VDGs as part of efforts to shore up the counter-infiltration mechanism.

“The aim of the meeting was to establish a close rapport with the VDGs to further strengthen the anti-infiltration grid. Without people’s support, optimum results cannot be achieved in normal policing and law enforcement and likewise, the assistance of VDG would play a key role in countering infiltration,” the J-K police chief told reporters after the meeting.

He said the border residents have a history of working with security forces and police to safeguard the country from cross-border threats.

“The youth of the border villages are with us and we will create a new level of difficulty for the enemy,” Swain said.

The Director General of Police along with Inspector General of BSF, Jammu frontier, D K Boora, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Anand Jain, DIG, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, Sunil Gupta and SSP, Samba Vinay Sharma visited border village Rajpura in Samba and held meeting with VDGs.

The DGP said it was a good interaction and both sides heard each other.

“We will strengthen the synergy, equip them with weapons and night vision devices, and also reward them suitably,” he said.

The police chief said that the work of the VDG is voluntary service, but the police are open to accommodate them as special police officers or constables in the force using special powers, based on demonstrative conspicuous gallantry.

He said the VDG would continue to work in the “depth areas” with border police posts. “The BSF on noticing any suspicious movement will raise an alert and the police along with VDGs will respond in a well-coordinated manner.”

Later, the DGP also visited the Arnia sector in the outskirts of Jammu to meet the VDGs.

In response to a question on the ongoing anti-terrorist operation in Kokernag woods in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the DGP said, “We still expect that we will be able to get them and take the operation to its logical conclusion.”

Two army personnel and a civilian were killed and five others including a civilian were injured in a fierce gunfight in the forest area when security forces launched a search operation following information about the presence of terrorists on Saturday.