Guwahati, July 29 (PTI): Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the first Sashastra Seema Bal Rescue and Relief Team here today to provide immediate succour to the local people during calamities. The new team was raised from SSB’s existing workforce in its 18 sectors in Assam and are armed with modern equipment, he said adding besides providing succour to the people it would also provide help and facilities to the other stakeholders and sister organisations to work jointly to overcome the calamity.
Such teams should also be raised in the rest of the country to be the first responders within minutes during natural disasters and accidents, he said at the programme and appreciated SSB for the help rendered by it to local administrations and people during natural calamities and accidents.Besides guarding the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal borders, J and K frontiers and fighting naxalites, the SSB jawans also come forward during bus or train accidents, fire, earthquakes and tsunamis in the spirit of service, security and brotherhood, he said. He urged the SSB to create awareness among the people on how to keep themselves safe during natural calamities and accidents.
The union home ministry, he assured, would accept the SSB director general Archana Ramasundaram’s proposal for national level SSB training school at Salonibari in Sonitpur district of Assam. Rijiju said he had toured the flood-hit areas of Assam on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which he saw police, SDRF and all central forces speedily reacting to the crisis.
The BJP government’s response and rescue operations were better than that of the the previous Congress government in Assam, he claimed. The SSB rescue and relief team demonstrated how they respond during floods and use easily available items like foot balls, jerry cans, water bottles, hay inside gunny bags, banana trees and others to wade to safety.
Rijiju lauds SSB
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju today appreciated the commendable work of the SSB during various natural calamities and accidents. Inaugurating the first Sashastra Seema Bal Rescue and Relief Team here, Rijiju said such teams should also be raised in the rest of the country to be the first responders during natural disasters and accidents.
Raising of the rescue and relief team from its existing workforce by the border guarding force in its 18 sectors in Assam with modern equipment shall facilitate immediate relief to the people facing calamities and epidemics, he said. Besides guarding the Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal borders, J&K frontiers and fighting Naxalites, the minister said jawans of the SSB also came forward during bus/train accidents, fire, earthquakes, tsunamis and other calamities with the aim of service, security and brotherhood as their motto rendering dedicated service with the help of local police to the people. Every year the SSB rescues people and belongings of local people during disastrous floods and its aftermath by conducting medical camps to save people from waterborne epidemics, he added. Urging the SSB to create awareness among the people on how to keep themselves safe during natural calamities and accidents, the minister said his ministry would accept the proposal of the SSB Director General Archana Ramasundaram’s proposal for a national level SSB training school at Salonibari in Sonitpur district of Assam.
