Patna: More than 1,155 boundary pillars along the India-Nepal border in Bihar are missing, while 317 have been found damaged, according to a review meeting chaired by chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit on Thursday.
Officials said 3,771 pillars are currently in good condition, while construction of 100 new pillars remains pending.
The findings emerged during a state-level review of border management and security issues.
Border spread across eight districts
Bihar shares a 735-km border with Nepal, spanning seven administrative districts — West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria and Kishanganj — along with the police district of Bagaha.
The meeting reviewed security arrangements and economic activity in these border regions, where district administrations and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are jointly conducting inspections of commercial establishments.
Suspicious businesses under scrutiny
Officials reported that several business establishments in the border belt had been flagged as suspicious.
According to the review, Sitamarhi and Kishanganj each reported 28 such establishments, while West Champaran reported nine, Madhubani and Supaul six each, and Araria and East Champaran five each.
A separate case involving suspected foreign investment in Araria has been referred to the Income Tax Department’s investigation wing.
Banking sector faces tighter checks
The state has also directed police verification of all bank employees working in border districts, in line with Reserve Bank of India guidelines.
Officials said the finance department has instructed all 1,292 bank branches in the border region to install fake currency detection machines. Of these, 1,259 branches have already complied.
The government has also made PAN card submission mandatory for registration of immovable properties worth Rs. 10 lakh or more.
Encroachments in no-man’s land
The chief secretary also ordered an independent verification of encroachments reported in the 15-km stretch of no-man’s land on the Bihar side of the border.
District reports identified 1,359 encroachments in the no-man’s land area, of which 1,349 have been removed.
Separately, 996 encroachments on government land were reported, with 117 still pending removal.
Officials said action on the remaining cases would continue as part of the border management exercise.
