India, Nepal open Home Secy-level talks

India and Nepal on Friday launched their crucial two-day Home Secretary-level talks here during which the two sides are expected to ink an extradition treaty and formulate a border security and management strategy.

India and Nepal on Friday launched their crucial two-day Home Secretary-level talks here during which the two sides are expected to ink an extradition treaty and formulate a border security and management strategy.

Home Secretary G K Pillai, who arrived here last evening, commenced the bilateral security meeting with his Nepalese counterpart Govinda Kusum and is likely to seek tough action against those carrying out anti-India activities from this country.

Apart from concluding an extradition treaty and a pact on Mutual Legal Assistance, the meeting of the top security officers will deliberate on real-time exchange of information on Maoists and coordination among border districts to tackle drugs and fake currency smugglers, official sources said.

The Indian delegation is also likely to chalk out a strategy with its eastern neighbour on issues relating to security and management of 1,751-km-long porous border.

India had expressed concern over the growing problem of circulation of fake currency notes through the border to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal during his visit to New Delhi in August.

India and Nepal had agreed on the need for more cooperation between security forces of the two countries to jointly tackle growing criminal activities along the Nepal-India border.