Nitish calls for more vigil on border with Nepal, in areas close to B'desh

Purnea (Bihar), May 10 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday called for extra vigil in districts sharing border with Nepal or situated close to the boundary with Bangladesh.

Kumar chaired a high-level meeting here to take stock of the security situation in the state’s border districts, according to a CMO statement.

Though the meeting was held in view of the India-Pakistan conflict, the directors general of military operations (DGMO) of the two countries later in the day agreed to stop all firings and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 pm on Saturday.

At the meeting, Kumar directed officials concerned to ensure that a close watch and "extraordinary" vigil is maintained across the state in general and border districts in particular to thwart any attempt by anti-national elements by intensifying area domination patrolling and search operations.

The state shares a long, porous boundary with Nepal, which has been often used by infiltrators from other countries to sneak into the Indian territory.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena, Development Commissioner Pratyaya Amrit , Director General of Police Vinay Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar Chaudhary and officials of the security forces, district magistrates and SPs of Purnea, Kishanganj, Katihar, Araria and Supaul districts also attended the meeting.

“The CM directed officials to maintain extra vigil in districts sharing the border with Nepal or situated close to the boundary with Bangladesh. Heightened security must be maintained at all sensitive installations and places like crucial roads, bridges, railway lines, LPG depots and religious places," the statement said.

Officials were also directed to work closely in coordination with the army and the border forces, it said.

Apart from districts that share borders with Nepal, other districts were also directed to maintain extra vigil, it said.

“Security personnel must be adequately depaloyed and area domination patrolling should be intensified in the bordering districts in coordinated with Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). All possible support should be provided to the defence personnel and paramilitary forces by the state government,” said the statement.

The CM said that the entire country is united against terrorism.

“The country is proud of the courage and valour of the Indian Army and we all have unwavering faith and pride in the leadership of the respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said the statement. PTI PKD NN