Security concerns rise in Punarbas due to absence of border out post

Dhangadhi: Security challenges have intensified in the border area of Punarbas Municipality-8 in Kanchanpur due to the absence of a Border Out Post (BOP) of the Armed Police Force (APF).

Local resident Siddharaj Ojha expressed growing concerns over safety, citing the increasing incidents of smuggling and drug trafficking along the open border between Nepal and India. According to locals, cross-border criminal groups have been stealing livestock from cowsheds during the night.

“We have remained vigilant at the border,” said Ojha, who donated ten kaththas of land, including a road, for the establishment of the BOP. “We donated the land hoping the BOP would be set up after feeling unsafe in the area. A budget was allocated, but progress stalled due to inaction from the provincial ministry.”

Locals have reported that the presence of the Armed Police Force in nearby areas has deterred armed groups from entering Nepali villages at night. However, local resident Dipendra Basnet emphasized the continued need for BOPs in vulnerable locations, saying, “Robbery and looting incidents have stopped in places with APF presence, but more BOPs are still necessary.”

The border area gained national attention a few years ago when Govinda Gautam, a Nepali youth, was shot and killed by India’s Border Security Force during a border dispute in Punarbas. Gautam was later declared a martyr by the government.

Superintendent of Police Lokendra Dev Bhatta of the APF’s No. 35 Battalion Headquarters in Kanchanpur confirmed that 17 BOPs have been established along the 129.5-kilometer western and southern border of the district.

“The government’s policy is to increase the number of BOPs,” said SP Bhatta. “The Armed Police Force is actively working to prevent criminal and unlawful activities along the border.”

Despite this, many BOPs continue to operate with limited resources. Historically, during King Mahendra’s reign in 2028 BS, hundreds of families were resettled in the southern border area of Kanchanpur with land, water, and agricultural tools provided by the government through a resettlement initiative.