Security beefed up at border checkpoints for ensuring peaceful voting

Security has been tightened at the Nepal–India border to ensure that the House of Representatives elections on Thursday are conducted in a peaceful  environment.

Madhav Prasad Pokharel, Chief District Officer of Rupandehi, said that an informal border coordination meeting was held with his counterpart from Maharajganj District in Uttar Pradesh, India, regarding the security in the border areas in view of the House of Representatives elections.

The informal discussion between officials of both countries and the monitoring of the border area were attended by Chief District Officer Pokhrel, along with Chief of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police of the District Police Office Rupandehi Janak Bahadur Shahi, the Armed Police Force Deputy Inspector General Navaraj Bohara, and Prakash Acharya, Director of the National Investigation Department, from Nepal side.

Similarly, Santosh Kumar Sharma, the chief officer (DM) of the District Maharajganj in India, and SP Somendra Meena of the Indian police were also present.

Chief District Officer Pokharel stated that both parties discussed the issue of closing the border during the election and effectively implementing it. He said that the Indian side also showed interest in assisting in conducting the elections peacefully and fairly.

Considering the elections, all the border crossings with India in Rupandehi district have been closed for 72 hours from 12:00 midnight on Monday, March 2. 

The district administration has stated that all borders will remain closed until voting is completed on the election day, March 5.