"You are standing in front of me but I can't see you. Similarly, the government may look like visible or invisible, to you but it is performing its duty for the force and this is important," Patil said in his unusually short address to the BSF personnel at a function here to mark the 42nd Raising Day of the Para-military force.

During his address, he gave no assurance or policy statement except that the demands put forward by para-military force's top brass from time to time would be looked into.

"It is not important to discuss everything here but the government is fully committed to ease the problems that arise due to the tough working conditions of the BSF personnel," he said.

Traditionally, the Home Minister makes policy statements while addressing the personnel of a para-military force. Last year, he had assured raising of a Mahila Battalion for BSF and psychiatrists for every battalion to check suicides, a promise yet to be fulfilled.