NEW DELHI, March 20 (UPI) -- India plans to construct 780 miles of roads along its border with Nepal to bolster security in the area, Interior Minister Shivraj Patil said Thursday.
He said the roads would cover Uttarakhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states in order to facilitate better communication, patrolling and to check anti-government activities.
Patil said Sashastra Seema Bal, a paramilitary force that guards the border, has been asked to ensure border security along the frontier with Nepal.
"The state governments concerned have also been sensitized in this regard," he told Parliament. "SSB is working in close coordination with the state governments and the respective districts administrations. The government of India is also keeping a close watch on the overall situation at the border with Nepal."
The Interior Ministry said the decision to construct roads along the border was taken following reports that Nepalese Maoists have been infiltrating into the Indian state of Bihar.
