India to seal Bhutan border, intensify policing on Nepal border
Siliguri, Dec 22 (UNI) India will seal Bhutan's borders in West Bengal and Assam on the eve of the Himalayan nation's first National Council election on December 31 and intensify policing on the Indo-Nepal border, a senior police official said today.
On the eve of new year, thousands of Bhutanese will press a button on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) at 864 polling stations across the Himalayan country to vote for the candidates they want for the National Council, ushering in the start of the Kingdom's historic parliament elections.
Inspestor General of Police, North Bengal, RJS Nalwa today said while Bhutan's borders spreading across two Indian states of West Bengal and Assam would be sealed for three days from December 30, the Indo-Nepal border would come under intense policing to pre-empt any sabotage attempt on Bhutan elections.
He said a high level meeting was held here yesterday where Jalpaiguri Divisional Commissioner B L Meena, senior police and SSB officials of North Bengal and Guwahati made their views about the strengthening of the security on the borders of Bhutan and Nepal.
Mr Nalwa said four new SSB (Seema Surahkha Bal) companies are expected by early next week in addition to present posting of SSB and other security forces in the border areas.
Intelligence sources warned that Maoist groups and other insurgent orgnisations may sabotage the elections as more than one lakh Bhutanese of Nepali origin were still sheltering in Eastern Nepal after Bhutuan expelled them in the early nineties. The refugees are now demanding their names to be in the voter lists or else the elections would be termed a farce.
UNI