Patna: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Araria on Thursday, where he will take part in a programme at the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) border outpost in Letti area before undertaking further security assessments in the region.
He will also review development initiatives being implemented under the centrally sponsored Vibrant Villages Programme as part of his engagements in the border districts.
Shah commenced his three-day tour of Bihar on Wednesday, with the focus firmly on strengthening border security, evaluating administrative preparedness and monitoring ongoing development efforts in the Seemanchal region, which lies close to the Nepal and Bangladesh borders.
Upon his arrival in Purnea on Wednesday, the Home Minister was accorded a warm reception. He later travelled by helicopter to Kishanganj, where he chaired a review meeting at the district Collectorate to assess the prevailing situation and coordination among officials.
In Araria, Shah, after the inauguration of the border outpost in Letti, will hold a detailed review meeting at the Araria Collectorate with district magistrates and superintendents of police from seven border districts to deliberate on matters concerning the India-Nepal border.
The implementation and progress of the Vibrant Village Programme will also come up for discussion during the meeting.
On February 27, the Home Minister will again meet officials in Purnea to further deliberate on issues concerning the border districts. Following the final round of review meetings, he will depart for New Delhi.
The visit is being viewed as significant in terms of reinforcing border security, tracking the status of key development schemes and ensuring administrative coordination in districts considered sensitive due to their proximity to international borders.
Authorities have finalised logistical arrangements for the visit, and comprehensive security measures have been put in place in view of the high-level tour.
The Seemanchal region is at the centre of the Home Minister’s engagements. The exercise is being seen as the next major priority of the Home Ministry after its ‘Naxal-Mukt Bharat’ initiative, with particular emphasis on making Seemanchal “infiltrator-free”.
Shah has toured Seemanchal multiple times in recent years, underlining the importance the government attaches to the region.
(IANS)
