Patna: The
Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday held a coordination meeting on inter-state border security for the upcoming Bihar elections, directing heightened vigilance to ensure peaceful, free and inducement-free polls.
The chief secretaries, directors general of police (DGPs) and principal secretaries (home) of Bihar and its neighbouring states — Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal — along with officials from the ministries of home affairs, railways, and all law enforcement agencies participated in the meeting.
Chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, along with election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reviewed law-and-order arrangements in Bihar and its neighbouring states to monitor the movement of men, material and money, including arms, anti-social elements, liquor, narcotics and freebies inter-state and across the international border with Nepal. Special focus was placed on bordering districts and the sealing of borders to maintain peace and order.
The CEC underscored the commission’s commitment to free, fair, peaceful and inducement-free elections, calling upon all stakeholders, including the chief secretaries, DGPs and heads of central agencies, to work seamlessly to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
The commission also reviewed compliance with voter-facilitation directions to ensure a pleasant and smooth experience for voters on the day of the poll.
The chief secretaries and DGPs of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, and the DG of Sashastra Seema Bal were instructed to ensure heightened vigilance in areas bordering Bihar, with enhanced checks at inter-state posts.
The central agencies, including Narcotics Control Bureau, Income Tax and Central Goods and Services Tax departments, and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, were directed to intensify efforts in the run-up to the polls and maximise seizures acting upon actionable intelligence.
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