UP confers with 8 neighbouring states ahead of poll

Lucknow, Mar 8 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government today held a high level meeting with officials of eight adjoining states on the issue of providing fool proof security during the seven phase assembly election starting next month.

Sealing of borders, checking entry of illegal arms, explosives and criminals before the election were the main agenda of the meeting chaired by state chief secretary Navin Chandra Bajpai and other senior officials.

The meeting attended by home secretaries and senior police officials of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand decided to hold regular meetings of the bordering Police Superintendents and Range DIGs.

Briefing about the outcome of the meeting, state chief electoral officer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi said here the meeting took stock of the situation in the bordering areas of UP and the porous pockets where criminals and anti-social elements are likely to enter UP.

''It is decided all the borders would be sealed prior to the polling days and a thorough checkings would be conducted round the clock,'' he said.

The meeting also seriously took stock of the naxal-infested belt comprising Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

Mr Bishnoi said it was also decided by the visiting officials of other states on launching raids against the hideouts of criminals and illegal arms manufacturing units in their respective states.

''The SSPs of all bordering states have been asked to keep in touch with each other and pass intelligence reports to check inflow of anti-social elements, who might distrupt free and fair polling,'' the CEO said.

UNI