The Government of Bhutan and State Government of West Bengal met for their 23rd meeting on border district coordination in Thimphu today.
Facilitating coordination on border management, enhancing trade and commerce, environmental issues, illicit trafficking of drugs, security of people traveling along border highways, and welfare of people living at borders were core issues discussed at the meeting. Officials from law and enforcement bodies from Bhutan and West Bengal attended the meeting.
“Since we share about 699 kilometres of open border with India, there are lot of issues which require attention at this kind of forum. Cross border drug trafficking, illegal cutting of trees are some of the concerns that need to be resolved here,” said Tashi Penjore, Director of Department of Law and Order under Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs.
Delegation from West Bengal state government said border coordination meeting is instrumental in addressing border related issues.
“At this meeting, we knew each other’s designation and developed friendship which will go a long way in helping each other to resolve border issues,” said Barun Kumar Ray, Commissioner of Jalpaiguri Division in West Bengal.
Officials from the Department of Law and Order told its counterpart that Bhutanese people are involved in illicit trafficking of pharmaceutical drugs from India. On this, the West Bengal state government assured that it will monitor and restrict selling pharmaceutical drugs without doctor’s prescription to Bhutanese people.
The border district coordination meeting was first held in 1991.
