BSF to have two more permanent stations in state

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Decks have been cleared for the setting up of two more Border Security Force (BSF) permanent stations in Thiruvananthapuram and at Nadapuram in Kozhikode. Land acquisition was the major hurdle in setting up the units and the process has almost been completed. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had decided to set up two more units in Kerala considering the strength of Keralites in the paramilitary forces. BSF commandant R Muthu Krishnan told ‘Express’ that the Thrissur unit was already fully functional. The master plan has been completed for the Nadapuram unit. ‘’The construction work would start soon and a permanent station could be established within a year. A small platoon is already in place and with the completion of the unit in Nadapuram, more force could be deployed there,’’ he said.  The Thrissur unit has come up on a 55 acre land along with five acres for Kendriya Vidyalaya. The Nadapuram unit will come up on 60 acres of land, along with a Central School.  The headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram will also be shifted to Muttathara near the airport. The land for the headquarters, around 15 acres, will be handed over to the BSF in a month. Now the headquarters is functioning from a rented building and a section of the BSF jawans are put up in the Armed Reserve Camp of the state police near Peroorkada. The signal station is also functioning at another place at Sasthamangalam, and all this will come under one roof here within a year. There are two battalions of the BSF in Kerala which together has a strength of around 2,000 personnel. The permanent stations will help the families of these jawans to remain at one place, even when they are  deployed at sensitive areas. These facilities would benefit nearly 8,000 Keralite jawans in the BSF besides an equal number of ex-servicemen. Earlier, the BSF personnel, who remained scattered at various parts of the state, used to travel up to Bangalore to approach the authorities for their needs. Now, they can approach the Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur units. With the completion of the third unit, problems faced by thousands of para-military personnel could be solved to a certain extent.