DEHRADUN: A large number of Nepalese citizens carrying Indian Aadhaar cards while entering the border town of Banbasa in Champawat district of Uttarakhand, along the Indo-Nepal border, have raised concerns among the Indian authorities.
Officials said that the matter has been informed to senior officials.
Sub-divisional magistrate of Tanakpur in Champawat district Himanshu Kafaltia said, "The issue has been covered to senior officers. This came to light as we are all vigilant and conduct requisite checkings."
Officials added that it was surprising that Napalese citizens carried Indian Aadhaar cards which poses security risks.
Apart from this, in many areas of Uttarakhand, residents of border villages are compelled to use Nepalese sim cards due to no or poor availability of Indian network providers including government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
In October this year, Uttarakhand state disaster response force (SDRF) acquired the quick deployment antenna (QDA) technology for effectively tackling the challenges emerging from disasters and to reach out to affected people in the remote areas of the Himalayan state at the earliest.
Receding population on Uttarakhand-Nepal-China border has become a source of worry for Indian security forces amidst increasing border tensions with Nepal.
According to reports of Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission total 14 villages have become totally empty since 2011 while in many parts population have declined 'significantly'.