India-Nepal border vigil to be intensified

Madhubani: With a view to formulating a collective strategy to prevent illicit cross-border activities and to further enhance coordination among the agencies involved, a high-level meeting was held on Saturday on the premises of the 48th Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Jaynagar, Madhubani.The meeting, called the functional-level lead intelligence agency coordination session, was presided over by Saroj Kumar Thakur, DIG, sector headquarters, SSB, Muzaffarpur. Representatives from various partner intelligence and security agencies participated in the meeting.Key issues discussed included issuing directives for heightened vigilance and patrolling in India-Nepal border areas. Besides, coordinated action to curb liquor smuggling, intensified surveillance of people crossing the border, and better coordination and joint operations with Nepal Police were also discussed. Discussions were also held on preventing the smuggling of arms, counterfeit currency, and prohibited items, besides human trafficking. Other issues taken up included ways of countering religious extremism, Maoist activities, potential terrorist threats, and steps to prevent encroachments on the international border.Among the key attendees were Yogindra Kumar, SP, Madhubani; Govind Singh Bhandari, commandant, 48th Battalion; commanding officers from the 71st, 20th, and 51st battalions; Deepak Kumar, sub-divisional officer, Jaynagar; Raghav Dayal, SDPO, Jaynagar; Amit Kumar, SDPO, Benipatti; and officers from other collaborating agencies.In his address, the DIG, while emphasising the historical relations between India and Nepal, said organising such meetings is essential to strengthening ties between the two countries while ensuring peace and security in the border regions. He added that the SSB maintains effective monitoring of illegal activities in the area and commended the role of partner agencies in these efforts.