India creates 23 new border posts along Nepal, Bhutan

India has created 23 new border posts and deployed additional troops along its frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan in order to effectively check entry of criminals and curb smuggling of arms.

The proposal was in the pipeline for sometime and the decision on it has been prompted by the July 7 bombings in Bodh Gaya in Bihar, sources said.

While five new border outposts have been created along the Indo-Nepal border, 18 new BoPs have been established along the Bhutan frontier last month, sources said.

"A fresh contingent of armed paramilitary personnel drawn from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have been deployed at these new posts," the sources said.

India shares a 699km open border with Bhutan while the corresponding length along Nepal is 1,751 kms. The total troops strength at both these borders is approximately 21,500 personnel which is about 22 battalions.

With the creation of these posts, India now has a total of 455 border posts along Nepal border while a total of 160 such vigil centres have been created along the frontier with Bhutan.

The border posts have been equipped with surveillance gadgets, sources privy to the development said.