APF proposes to increase its BOPs to 500

5 May Kathmandu : The Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal has proposed to increase the number of its border outposts (BOPs) to 500. It has 121 permanent BOPs at the border at present.

The APF has proposed this in a draft it has prepared in that connection following Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s directives. The Ministry is preparing to increase the BOPs at the border to tighten security in view of the increasing risk of COVID-19.

APF made a presentation about its draft plan to the Home Minister on Monday. India has 530 BOPs along the border and APF wanted to set up more border outposts in that proportion. As per the proposal, the APF will have to recruit nine thousand personnel for manning the proposed number of BOPs. At present, the BOPs are located at an average distance of 15 kilometres and they would be 3.5 kilometres apart once the BOPs are increased.

In the discussions held at the Ministry after the presentation, Home Minister Thapa said the government has placed the topic of border management in high priority and that he would take the APF’s proposal to the Cabinet meeting for its endorsement.

He said the proposal was sound and directed APF Inspector General Shailendra Khanal to prepare detail proposal on the places where the BOPs are to be set up, the required infrastructures, among other topics.