The BSF Inspector General (IG) of Tripura Frontier, Sushanta Kumar Nath, on Thursday said the insurgency problem in Tripura has started again.

Talking to reporters during a press conference at Agartala on Thursday, BSF IG Nath said, “We are aware that insurgency activities have started again in the state. This has been observed in the last one year.”

“With close coordination with the state government, state police and other agencies working in this field, we have been taking all necessary steps to maintain the highest vigil and highest alert,” Nath said added.

Though he did not reveal about the areas where the banned organization has remained active, the BSF IG said the intelligence inputs suggest militants are active in some areas within the internal border as well outside the IB border.

During the press conference at BSF Headquarters, Shalbagan, BSF IG Nath said, “In Tripura, the valiant border men of BSF under Tripura Frontier have been performing their duties with utmost sincerity and dedication in very challenging climatic conditions in remote and inhospitable topography.”

“BSF personnel are performing their duties even in the high malaria epidemic zones in order to effectively defend the sanctity of the international border,” Nath said.

However, he declined to reveal the number of militant camps that exist outside the international border.

“I can’t reveal the inputs in this forum,” he said.

Around 95% of the Indo-Bangla border has been fenced so far while works could not be expedited in remaining areas due to persistent opposition from Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB), the BSF IG said.

“We are in touch with BGB authority to get No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is required to undertake single fencing wok within 150 yards of the IB border,” he said.

The BSF jawans seized narcotics, contraband items and gold worth Rs. 41.95 crore during the year 2020.

Finished ganja worth Rs. 9.41 crore was seized and handed over to the police in 2020, he said.

In the last one year, BSF destroyed 43,37,150 mature/immature ganja saplings worth Rs. 9,41,45,200.

This includes joint efforts with state polices, state forest department as well as independent actions by BSF.

The BSF IG informed that in the last one year, 131 persons, including 85 Indian nationals and 46 Bangladeshi nationals, have been nabbed by the BSF.

Some of these apprehended persons were involved in smuggling activities and they were caught along with smuggled contraband goods, the IG said.

Besides, some other people were detained while inadvertently crossing the international border and few others were caught while trying to illegally infiltrate/exfiltrate, he added.

IG BSF Nath said, “It is pertinent to mention that BSF Tripura Frontier so far has reported 1,531 COVID19 positive cases amongst its members.”

“However, not a single case of COVID19 death has been reported in the BSF Frontier while undergoing treatment at our COVID Care Centres,” Nath said.

“Only two cases of BSF personnel while they were on leave away from Tripura and 1 case of referral COVID19 patient to a government-run COVID19 hospital at Agartala, reportedly died of COVID19 infection,” he said.

“In all, 24 quarantine centres with 2,669 beds were established by the BSF in various locations in Tripura, out of which the main Covid Care Centre was established at the Composite Hospital BSF, Agartala which has so far successfully treated 811 patients,” Nath further said.