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Kathmandu, 16 November (HS). Nepal’s Armed Police Forces (APF) and India’s Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have proposed to hold border security chief level bilateral meetings twice a year. The proposal was brought in the two-day border security coordination meeting that began in Kathmandu from Saturday under the leadership of APF and SSB chiefs.
Since 2012, APF and SSB chief level Border Security Coordination Meetings have been organized by both the countries once a year. According to security agencies of both sides, it has been proposed to expand the meeting to make border security, prevention and control of cross-border crime, control infiltration of third country nationals and control terrorism more effective. APF is the main security agency of Nepal deployed for border security. From the Indian side, SSB is deployed in the border areas of Nepal.
Officials of the Armed Police, Nepal Police and Home Ministry are participating in the eighth meeting which started today at the APF Headquarters under the leadership of Inspector General of Armed Police Forces Raju Aryal. Security officers under the leadership of SSB Director General Amrit Mohan Prasad have come to Kathmandu to participate in this meeting.
APF DIG Purushottam Thapa, who was participating in the meeting, said that in today’s meeting, topics related to prevention, control and border security of cross-border crime have been included on priority as a common agenda of both the countries.
Nepal’s Home Ministry spokesperson Rishi Ram Tiwari said that the security chiefs of both the countries deployed for border security will focus on solving common problems. The issue of how to effectively implement mandates for prevention and control of cross-border crime has been put forward as a common agenda. The previous agenda was also reviewed in the meeting.
The border between Nepal and India is approximately 1,880 km long. Apart from Karnali province, 27 districts of 6 provinces of Nepal are connected to India. According to APF DIG Thapa, APF has established 244 border out posts for border security on the Indian border.
India has deployed more than 400 units of SSB with permanent units and temporary bases along the border with Nepal. The APF-SSB top-level mechanism has been empowered to discuss all other border issues except the matters related to Kalapani in Darchula and Susta in Nawalparasi by creating a common agenda. In the year 2014, in the Foreign Secretary level meeting of both the countries, it was agreed that the border dispute related to Kalapani and Susta should not be resolved at the staff level but should be resolved by the Minister and the above mechanism.