Siliguri, Jan. 8: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is organising sports meets in villages on the India-Nepal border to improve relations with residents and identify good athletes who can be recruited in the paramilitary force.

“By organising such meets, we will have better interaction with the villagers in the border areas,” said H.C. Pandey, the deputy inspector-general of the Ranidanga sector headquarters of the SSB. “Besides, we will be able to search out local talents, who can be inducted in the force.”

A constable in the SSB, the lowest ranked post in the force, must pass Madhyamik.

The 22nd Battalion, which mans the Ranidanga sector, is the first to organise the meets, which are open to boys under 18 years of age. Gangtok, Khaprail More, Kishenganj and Thakurganj, the other four sectors under Patna frontier, will also host similar meets soon.

“We had sent a proposal about the sports meets to our higher authorities in Delhi in the middle of last year,” said S.L. Sarkar, the sector commandant of the 22nd Battalion. “Last month, we came to know that our proposal had been accepted.”

Initially, the sports meets are being held at the BOP level.

“At the end of this month, we are going to organise an inter-sector meet in Naxalbari,” Sarkar said. Athletes selected from the five sectors will participate in events like 100m and 400m runs, shot-putt, high jump and long jump.