Govt denies influx of people from Nepal to India

New Delhi, May 16: The Government today denied that there was heavy influx of people from Nepal to India due to political turmoil in the Himalayan country.

Denying all such reports, Minister of State for Home Affairs S Regupathy told the Lok Sabha, in a written reply, that the Centre has deployed the Sashstra Seema Bal (SSB) to guard the India-Nepal border and this force was carrying intensified patrolling in the area.

He said all the border outposts of SSB on the India-Nepal border have been put on alert, while the SSB has also been asked to work in close coordination with the government of states, bordering Nepal, to check entry of undesirable elements into India.

In response to another question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said there are no recent inputs to suggest Nepalese banks are assisting/facilitating Pakistan's ISI for funneling money to terrorists.

India and Nepal have bilateral mechanisms to discuss security concerns and review them.

Mr Jaiswal said the government has no information that insurgent groups from nepal have built up their network in India, from North Bengal to South India.

India and Nepal have agreed to start a pilot project at one crossing point for regulating movement of their nationals across the Indo-Nepal border on the basis of prescribed identity documents. This pilot project has commenced from November 1 at the Rupaidiha (India) and Nepalganj (Nepal) check posts.

Mr Jaiswal said the SSB and the states bordering Nepal, namely Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttaranchal have been advised to increase vigil and undertake intensive patrolling along the border so as to prevent ingress of Maoist elements into Indian territory.

UNI