Defence Ministry revises security restrictions to boost development in border areas

The Defence Ministry on November 27, 2018 issued fresh guidelines, in which, it has allowed developmental work of small nature to be carried out by the central or state governments’ statutory bodies for faster development in the border areas.

Key Highlights

• Under the new rules, restrictions have been lifted for works like construction, repair and maintenance of village ponds, construction and maintenance of government buildings like schools and hospitals.

• With this, the security considerations for construction activities in border areas issued earlier from time to time by the ministry shall not be applicable for the development works in border areas.

• The fresh guidelines were issued by the ministry by superseding the Security Restrictions Guidelines issued by it in 1990.

• The need for new guidelines was felt, as the earlier restrictions were restrictive in nature towards developmental activities near border areas and were not fully facilitating in developmental works of small nature in the border areas.

Background

The construction works in the border areas were getting affected due to provisions listed in the Defence Ministry’s existing guidelines.

Hence, the state governments put forward requests to the centre to consider revision of the guidelines.

Keeping in view the requests of the state governments, the central government decided to allow the developmental works of small nature by Panchayati Raj Institutions and other central or state government statutory bodies for faster development in border areas.

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