Bihar CM chairs review meeting on India-Nepal border security
Patna, July 3
A high-level review meeting on security, administrative, and developmental issues related to the India-Nepal border was held on Friday at Samvad Hall, located in the Chief Minister's Secretariat, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary.
District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police from Bihar's seven border districts participated in the meeting through video conferencing. During the meeting, Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit delivered a detailed presentation on the current status of border management and related issues.
District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police from Kishanganj, Madhubani, and West Champaran briefed the Chief Minister on the implementation of previous directives and shared suggestions for improving coordination and governance in the border region.
Officials from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Customs Department, and Income Tax Department also participated in the meeting, providing updates on the measures taken by their respective agencies and offering recommendations.
The discussions covered a wide range of issues, including border security, border management, encroachment, cybercrime, citizenship-related matters, pending infrastructure projects, and overall development in the border region.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said the state government and various central agencies have been working in coordination to strengthen security and accelerate development along the India-Nepal border.
He noted that regular review meetings have been held at the levels of the Union Home Minister, the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, and the Director General of Police (DGP), resulting in the completion of several important initiatives.
He directed officials to work with greater coordination to complete the remaining tasks without delay.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the border, the Chief Minister said the India-Nepal border extends for 735 kilometres, with seven districts, 70 police stations, and 194 SSB Border Outposts (BOPs) located along Bihar's frontier.
He instructed police and administrative officials to ensure that no illegal or anti-social activities take place along the border.
Station House Officers (SHOs) were directed to remain vigilant, maintain close coordination with security agencies, and ensure effective surveillance within a 15-kilometre radius of all border check-posts.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need for special vigilance against economic offences, cross-border smuggling, and other suspicious activities, while maintaining cordial relations with neighbouring Nepal.
The Chief Minister directed officials to identify 100 suitable locations in Kishanganj district for the establishment of Urdu schools.
He also instructed that regular coordination meetings be held between the district administration, police, and the SSB to curb the smuggling of fertilisers and narcotics across the border.
Additionally, he directed police in border districts to constitute special teams at the police station level to identify individuals whose assets have increased disproportionately to their known sources of income.
Officials were asked to compile detailed reports in such cases and initiate appropriate legal action wherever necessary.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The directive to identify disproportionate assets is a great move. Corruption at border checkpoints is an open secret, especially with fertiliser smuggling. Also glad they're setting up Urdu schools in Kishanganj - that district needs education infra. 👏
I appreciate the comprehensive approach covering security, cybercrime, and infrastructure. But does anyone else think these review meetings happen too often without visible results on the ground? I live in Madhubani district and the border area still lacks basic amenities.
Good that CM mentioned maintaining cordial relations with Nepal. Our 'Roti-Beti ka Rishta' with Nepal is special. But border security is serious - I've seen how smuggling of cattle and fake currency happens through these routes. Hope the 15km surveillance zone gets implemented properly.
As someone from West Champaran, I'm skeptical. We've seen countless meetings but little change in ground reality. The SSB presence is good, but locals still face harassment at checkpoints. Also, why only focus on Urdu schools? Our Hindi medium schools need attention too.
Nice to see multi-agency coordination - SSB, ED, NCB, Customs all at one table! The narcotics and fertiliser smuggling is a ₹1000 crore problem in Bihar alone. Hope this meeting leads to concrete action and not just photo ops. Also, cybercrime from across the border is rising - good that's being discussed.
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