Birgunj. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has directed the concerned bodies to work in coordination to stop illegal smuggling and export at the border points.

At a meeting of the Revenue Leakage Control Coordination Committee held at the District Administration Office, Parsa today, Home Minister Lekhak directed to stop illegal smuggling and export by coordinating and collaborating with the local administration, customs office, all the concerned bodies including the three security mechanisms.

“I request all the stakeholders to move ahead in coordination to control revenue leakage,” he said, adding, “It is necessary for one body to cooperate with coordination and not by blaming the other.” ’

Home Minister Lekhak urged the government to take necessary initiatives to reduce illegal smuggling and other criminal activities in the border areas. Chief Customs Administrator of Birgunj Customs Office, Bishnu Prasad Gyawali, said the revenue collection of Birgunj Customs Office in the last fiscal year was encouraging as compared to the previous fiscal year.

“The revenue collection in the last fiscal year has increased in an encouraging manner as compared to the previous fiscal year. It is expected that the collection will be done as per the target in the current fiscal year as well,” he said, adding, “All the agencies concerned have to work hand-in-hand to control smuggling.” Hari Prasad Sharma, chief of the Revenue Investigation Office at Pathlaiya, said the security agencies should discourage the practice of transporting smuggled goods without bills.

“There is a tendency of Indian citizens misusing the citizenship of low-income citizens of Nepal to register various ‘firms’ and smuggle them through them,” he said, adding, “There is a need for coordination among all agencies to control revenue leakage.”

Parsa Chief District Officer ToyNarayan Subedi pledged to move ahead in coordination with the concerned bodies for maintaining peace and security and controlling revenue leakage in the district.