Punjab Govt Moves SC Against Centre’s Decision To Extend BSF Jurisdiction

By OB Bureau On Dec 11, 2021

New Delhi: The Punjab government has challenged in Supreme Court, the central government’s decision to extend the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to a 50 km belt along the international border in Punjab, West Benga,l and Assam.

The suit was listed on Friday before the Registrar, who issued a notice to the Centre through the Attorney General, media reports said.

The matter will come up before a Supreme Court bench after four weeks.

Punjab is the first state to take this step.

Congratulating Punjab and its legal team, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said that the fight to retain the principles embodied in the constitution to retain the federal structure and autonomy of the states has begun.

Earlier, Sidhu had questioned the Centre’s move to extend BSF jurisdiction, saying the government is weakening the country’s federal structure by creating a state within a state.

Earlier, the BSF’s jurisdiction was a 15 km belt along the border.

In the area under its jurisdiction, BSF officers have powers of arrest, search and seizure on par with their counterparts in the police.