The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is all set to get a boost in the new year as 1,800 non-combat personnel of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will be transferred to IB. The transfer will be completed early next month.

In October, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) took the decision to transfer the civil wing of SSB to IB. The move was made in order to bolster the IB's on-ground presence along the Indian border, especially along China and Nepal.

SSB's director general Surjeet Singh Deshwal speaking to media persons in New Delhi said "The process of transferring the civil wing to IB was underway for the past several years. After a lot of discussion, the government had in October decided that the civil wing will go to the IB. The process for the transfer has already started. Next one month, a total of 1,800 people will be transferred to IB."

The idea is said to be the brain child of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval who realised the potential of the civil wing and its utility in the IB. In June 2016, he wrote to then home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi underlining the need to effectively utilise this manpower to enhance border security, thereby improving intelligence.

The experienced SSB civil wing is highly trained and well acquainted with the border areas.