Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has reportedly informed the Central government about possible incursions by the Chinese in his State.
Mr. Pokhriyal, quoting reports from locals in Rimkhim in Chamoli district, said the Chinese had entered the State on September 5 and left behind biscuit packet wrappers and cigarettes.
He informed both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Home Ministry about this development and sought their help in curbing what he described as frequent incursions in his State. “We have demanded more patrolling force on the India-China border,” he said.
No incursion: ITBP
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Sunday denied media reports that the Chinese army has made any incursion into the Uttarakhand border but said security forces were on high alert.
“We have not sighted any incursion by the Chinese army on the Indian side in Uttarakhand,” ITBP DIG Sanjay Singhal said here. However, some civilians, mostly shepherds, come to the Indian side during the monsoon season which was not an “unusual” thing on the Uttarakhand-Tibet border, particularly in Barahoti area in Chamoli, Mr. Singhal said.
