New Delhi: In an attempt to further improve security apparatus along the borders, Union home minister Rajnath Singh has directed all concerned agencies to expedite construction of integrated check posts (ICPs). The Union minister on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing border projects. These projects are being executed jointly by the Land Ports Authority of India and the Border Management Division under the ministry of home affairs.

Sources said the home minister expressed satisfaction as work on five of the seven ICPs at border crossing points has been completed. Terminals for smooth movement of goods and people at ICP Raxaul and ICP Jogbani on India-Nepal border, ICP Petrapole and ICP Agartala on India-Bangladesh border and ICP Attari on India–Pakistan border have been made functional.

Officials claimed that at each of these ICPs, facilities have been constructed for customs clearance, immigration, warehouses for storage of goods, approach roads and terminal buildings to adequately handle import and export of goods and entry and exit of people. Work on ICP at Moreh along the India-Myanmar border and ICP Dawki on India-Bangladesh border is in advanced stage of completion. The total approved expenditure for the seven ICPs is more than `700 crores.

Meanwhile, Mr Singh, officials added, has directed all the concerned agencies to complete the pending works at an early date.

As part of the scheme, projects have been taken up for construction of 18 coastal border outposts also in Gujarat and improvement of border floodlighting in Punjab and Rajasthan as well.

Some projects which have been pending due to issues related to land acquisition have now resumed work following the home minister’s letters to the governments of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Bihar.

Projects under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) to improve road and mobile connectivity in the border villages as well as imparting skills to the people living there have also made good progress, officials added. In order to further strengthen coastal security, 121 Coastal Police Stations are now operationalised, 30 jetties have been constructed and Biometric Cards have been issued to 18.5 lakh fishermen.