Tags:
Journalism of Courage
LUCKNOW, SEPT 14: The entire Uttar Pradesh border with Nepal has been sealed off and is being manned by a special task force to prevent infiltration of Pakistan8217;s ISI agents who could create trouble during the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Disclosing this, UP Chief Secretary Yogendra Narain told PTI here today that 11 districts of the state bordering Nepal are alive8217; to the ISI threat.
He said the state government has also informed the external affairs ministry about the possibility of ISI agents in Nepal crossing over the border to distrub polls in the state.
According to Narain, India has sought Nepal Government8217;s cooperation to prevent any such infiltration.
Claiming that the intrusion by ISI agents had been effectively checked, he said the state government has already established a special cell in the police department to monitor their activities and take strong steps to deal with them.
The state government had alerted the district authorities along the border who have started getting 8220;full cooperation8221; from their counterparts in Nepal in this regard.
8220;We have also asked the district authorities to deport those Pakistani nationals found overstaying in the state,8221; he said.
A number of checkposts have been set up along UP8217;s border with Bihar to prevent criss-crossing of anti-social elements, Narain said.
While 37 districts in the state have been identified as hyper-sensitive and 22 as sensitive, district authorities have been asked to take steps to identify the cause behind sensitivity and take steps to de-sensitise them, he said.
8220;We have deployed 122 companies of Central paramilitary forces and 180 of the provincial armed constabulary to ensure peaceful conduct of polls. For the first time, the services of over 7,000 NCC cadets were being utilised mainly in urban areas,8221; Narain said.
To prevent booth capturing, polling would be videographed in sensitive booths, he said.
A special team comprising the state director general of police, principal secretary home, additional director general intelligence and inspector general elections, held a series of review meetings with senior civil and police officials of all divisions to ensure implementation of Election Commission8217;s model code of conduct, he said.
As many as 1,242 anti-social elements have been booked under the National Security Act, about 1700 illicit arms manufacturing units unearthed and large number of finished and unfinished weapons and 2800 kgs of explosive material seized in the state since announcement of polls, he said.
