By THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM| Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security review meeting in Bhuj, Gujarat, to assess security-related issues concerning the India-Pakistan Border (IPB) and the state’s coastal districts.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Gujarat Government, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Das, Director General of Police, and district administrations from border regions such as Kutch, Vav-Tharad and Patan. On the occasion, Amit Shah was welcomed by the Chief Secretary upon his arrival in Bhuj. On this occasion the Home Minister Amit Shah was welcomed by Manoj Kumar Das, Chief Secretary of Gujarat with a memento.

During the review, Amit Shah emphasized that border fencing, enhanced coastal surveillance, and the Gujarat Government’s strong political commitment have significantly transformed the state’s security landscape. He stated that infiltration and cross-border smuggling have been effectively curbed and stressed the need for maintaining a zero-tolerance approach towards unauthorized encroachments within the 0–15 km belt along the international border.

The Home Minister called for strict monitoring of demographic changes in border districts by District Magistrates and regular reporting mechanisms. He welcomed the trend of reverse migration driven by industrial growth in border regions and urged local administrations to prepare district-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to identify infiltrators, drone-related threats, and narcotics networks.

Highlighting the importance of inter-agency coordination, Shah directed the formation of district-level Security Coordination Groups comprising representatives from the Border Security Force (BSF), Coast Guard, Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and lead banks. He stressed stronger vigilance against hawala transactions, mule accounts, shell companies, suspicious vehicles, and irregular GST activities, while advocating large-scale surveys in coordination with the Income Tax Department and RBI.

The Minister also underscored the strategic importance of coastal security due to Gujarat’s proximity to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). He urged seamless coordination with the Indian Coast Guard and called for complete saturation of all Central and State Government welfare schemes in border villages, alongside the Vibrant Villages Programme, to strengthen both security and development in frontier areas.