Infiltration Branch

Meghalaya has a long International border (423 kms) with Bangladesh on the South and West and another long inter-state boundary with Assam (566 kms) on the North and East. However, there are only 279 sanctioned Police officers and men under PIF Scheme (Govt. of India = 194 and Govt. of Meghalaya = 85) to cover 989 long border (both inter-national and inter-state) covering about 5629 villages.

The P.1.F. Scheme was introduced in Meghalaya during the year 1962. Initially, under the Scheme, 4 Watch Posts, 10 Patrol Posts, 4 Passport Check Posts and a few staff for Special Branch at Shiliong and Tura were created. The total number of personnel manning the above posts was 146. Later on, Govt. of India vide MHA No. VI.17019/10/81-GXQ Dt. 20.9.83 sanctioned 12 posts of SIs, 12 posts of H/Cs and 24 posts of Constables for 12 additional Check Posts raising the strength of 194 personnel.

Nature of work being performed by these staff

The main objective of the State Infiltration Branch is to prevent and check the influx and illegal entry of foreign nationals detecting, prosecuting and deporting them after concrete evidence is established against them. Some of the important duties assigned to the personnel working under the PIF Scheme are :

• Undertake enumeration of all the Inhabitants residing In border villages.
• The national Register of Citizens (NRC) of 1951 census be used as reference for determining citizenship.
• Collect intelligence from all possible quarters namely, secret sources, VDP, dependable Headmen and other village officials about infiltrators.
• Check all pedestrians and vehicles for presence of foreigners entering the area without valid documents, to detect and push them back to the International borders if such foreigners are detected within 10 kms of the International borders. Those detected beyond 10 kms of the International border are to be prosecuted under the Foreigners’ Act, 1946 through Police Stations.
• Verify arrival of any new-comer by constant patrolling. The primary objective of the I/C of a Watch Post/Patrol Post/Infil Check Post is to ensure that the arrival, stay and movement of any foreigner does not go unnoticed.
• Maintain records of detections, push back and prosecution of foreigners. Also, to maintain a record of finger prints and photographs of all foreigner detected.
• Check the papers, passports, visas, of all foreigners attempting to enter the country illegally, to maintain a record of such traffic and to keep a look out for certain foreigners who have been black-listed (PCP only).
• Prepare and send necessary returns to Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, with copies to the State Govt. and Infil Hqrs (PCP only)
• Detect foreigners whose papers and/or passports are not in order. They are to be prosecuted under Passport Rules, 1950 through Police Stations. (PCP only).
• Conduct raids to arrest foreigners entering and staying illegally in the district and to prosecute them under the Foreigners Act, 1946. (District Hqrs. Special Squad only).
• Maintain a record of finger prints and photographs of all foreigners detected by the Infiltration units within the district and to computerize them easy retrieval. District Finger Print and Photo Units.

DETECTION FIGURE OF BANGLADESHI NATIONAL FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS