Patna, Jan. 21: The Centre has emphasised on the need to beef up security measures to combat terrorism and extremist activities in the state.

A six-member Central team, headed by former Union home secretary V.K. Duggal, held a meeting with police and administrative officials at the secretariat yesterday and discussed various issues related to the internal security of the state.

The central team’s visit assumes significance in the wake of arrests of several alleged activists of a militant outfit — Indian Mujahideen —from the north Bihar region in the recent past and seizure of huge quantity of Indian fake currency notes.

The meeting, attended by development commissioner A.K. Sinha, home secretary Amir Subhani and director-general of police Abhayanand, emphasised on stepping up security along the India-Nepal border, which, of late, has turned into a safe corridor for terror group linkmen.

“The visit of the team is part of an exercise conducted by the Centre to understand various issues of internal security in each state,” a member of the central team said.

A senior IPS officer said the team formed by the Centre would assess the situation in different states, particularly in those states, which share borders with other countries.

“They can’t take any policy decisions. They will get feedback from the states plagued with trans-border as well as extremist activities and submit the report to the central government,” he said.

Union home secretary R.K. Singh, who is a Bihar cadre IAS officer, had visited Bihar in November last year and held a high-level meet on border management.

During the two-day visit, Singh had also visited Supaul, which is close to the porous India-Nepal border and reviewed the situation.

Senior officials of the Sashastra Seema Bal, which has been assigned to guard the India-Nepal border, were also present at the meeting.