NEW DELHI: About four acres of land in south Delhi has been sanctioned by the government for building the new headquarters of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force that guards the LAC with China, officials said on Tuesday.
The Union housing and urban affairs ministry has recently sanctioned the land, situated near the Delhi Public School on Mathura Road, to the border guarding force that operates out of the CGO complex at Lodhi Road at present.
“The ITBP has been given a 3.83 acre land on a permanent basis and an adjacent 4.85 acre land on a temporary basis in south Delhi. The first plot will be used to construct the ITBP headquarters while the adjoining parcel of land will be used for plantation and keeping the area green,” a senior officer of the paramilitary force said.
The ITBP, about 90,000-personnel strong and tasked with the primary duty of guarding the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control with China, is the second central armed police force after the CRPF to get independent land in the national capital for creation of its headquarters.
Land measuring 2.23 acres for the Central Reserve Police Force was sanctioned last year and it is located next to the CBI head office at Lodhi Road in the national capital.
ITBP chief S S Deswal mentioned the latest acquisition in a new year message released to the troops of the force that was raised after the 1962 Chinese aggression.
“I am very happy to share that the government has allotted land to the ITBP for its force headquarters building at Mathura Road, New Delhi….I hope that the construction of the headquarters building of the force will be starting very soon and once it is completed, all our branches will be able to function from there,” Deswal said.
The plan of the building, cost of the project and other modalities will be finalised after the ITBP obtains certain no objection certificates from some regulatory agencies, a senior officer said.
The Director General, in his message, also spoke about the recent operationalisation of two border commands of the force in Chandigarh and Guwahati and lauded his personnel for making “remarkable contributions” in the line of duty including the battle against the coronavirus outbreak and successful running of a COVID-19 quarantine centre, a care centre for infected patients in south Delhi and a similar facility for CAPF personnel in Greater Noida.
“In this new year, we have to take pledge to keep ourselves and our family members healthy. We as Himveers (mountain warriors) of ITBP have to work hard to fulfil our dreams and to give our best in the line of duty and service to the nation,” the DG said.
