India-Nepal border coordination meet held in Nepal's Kailali ahead of polls in neighbouring country

A meeting of the India-Nepal Border District Coordination Committee (BDCC) was held in the Kailali district of Nepal to ensure peace, security and administrative coordination along the international border in view of the upcoming elections in the neighbouring country, officials in Lakhimpur Kheri said on Friday.

According to a press communique issued by the Lakhimpur Kheri district administration, District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal, along with Additional District Magistrate Narendra Bahadur Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police Pawan Gautam, the sub-divisional magistrates of Pallia and Nighasan tehsils and senior officials of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), represented the Indian side at the meeting on Thursday.

The Kheri DM assured the chief district officers (CDOs) of Kailali and Kanchanpur districts of full cooperation from the Kheri district administration during the Nepal elections. She recalled the long-standing historical, cultural and familial ties between India and Nepal and said all necessary assistance would be extended by the district administration, SSB and the police to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls.

ADM Narendra Bahadur Singh assured heightened vigilance along the border, real-time sharing of information and uninterrupted emergency services during the election period.

ASP Pawan Gautam said regular patrolling was already in place and assured prompt action on any inputs received from the Nepal side.

Issues such as drug smuggling, prevention of cross-border crimes and strengthening coordination between enforcement agencies were also discussed during the meeting, the communique said.