Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 10 Jul: The country’s first Land Border District SPs’ Conference-2026 was held in New Delhi on 9 July, under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The conference brought together Directors General of Police from 18 border states and Union Territories, chiefs of Central Armed Police Forces and other central police organisations, senior border security officials, and Superintendents of Police from border districts across the country.
During various thematic sessions, the Home Minister discussed key issues including cross-border terrorism and organised crime, border security, financial crimes and illicit money flows, demographic changes in border areas, and community participation in border development.
Representing Uttarakhand were Director General of Police Deepam Seth and the Superintendents of Police from the state’s five international border districts—Udham Singh Nagar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Uttarkashi, and Chamoli, which share borders with Nepal and Tibet. Uttarakhand Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Director General (Intelligence and Security) Abhinav Kumar, and other senior officials joined the conference virtually.
Given Uttarakhand’s strategic location along two international borders, the state police presented recommendations on the use of modern technology for border surveillance, prevention of cross-border crimes, strengthening local intelligence networks, improving infrastructure in border areas, and enhancing coordination among various security agencies.
During the session on “Community Engagement for Border Development,” Champawat Superintendent of Police Rekha Yadav delivered a presentation on Uttarakhand Police’s people-centric and participatory policing model. She highlighted the concept of the “Five Pillars of Community Force Multiplication”—Trust, Intelligence, Participation, Capacity Building, and Encouragement & Protection—as a framework for strengthening security in border areas through active community involvement.
She also shared the positive outcomes of the “Ratri Chaupal” (Night Community Meetings) initiative, which is regularly organised in border villages, and showcased the “Gunji Model” from Pithoragarh district as a successful example of reversing migration in remote border regions.
Addressing the conference, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Central Government is committed to further strengthening and modernising the country’s border security architecture. Under the “Smart Border” concept, an integrated security framework is being developed through coordination among border guarding forces, state governments, district administrations, other concerned agencies, and local communities.
He stated that over the next three years, the government aims to establish a robust system to effectively curb narcotics trafficking and eliminate illegal infiltration. He also emphasised the importance of the Prime Minister’s Vibrant Villages Programme, which focuses on preventing migration from border villages, creating employment opportunities, and ensuring effective implementation of government welfare schemes.
The Home Minister further stressed the need for timely reporting of demographic changes in border regions and underlined that addressing emerging challenges such as proxy warfare, radicalisation, drone threats, cybercrime, and organised crime remains a national priority to ensure secure and prosperous borders.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Deepam Seth said the conference marked a significant step towards making security arrangements in border districts more modern, coordinated, and people-centric. He added that the exchange of experiences, innovations, and best practices during the conference would strengthen security, development, and public participation in the state’s border areas.
