Tehri (Uttarakhand), Jan 17 : A sense of fear grips Uttarakhand as residents feel that Maoists with ulterior motives are coming in large numbers in the garb of labourers from Nepal.

Acknowledging the fears of the people, the Tehri Police said that they are keeping a close watch on the situation.

"We are continuously in touch with the sub-contractors who hire these

Nepali workers. We take all the information from them and we are taking precautions by finding out their regular activities,” said D J Ghildiyal, Superintendent of Police, Tehri.

“And we are also in touch with the landlords where they stay on rent so that the landlords can keep a track on the activities of Nepalese migrants, if they are meeting any unknown people or distributing any pamphlets or organising any meeting," he added.

Reports said that many Maoist camps are operating right under the nose of the State administration along the Indo-Nepal border in Uttarakhand.

However, Nepali migrants denied this allegation, and said that they are poor and cross the border in search of work.

"We don't get work in our country. And even if we get work we are not paid enough to make our living. So we don't have any other option apart from coming to India," said Thag Bhadur, a Nepali labourer.

However, the locals are not convinced. They say the number of Nepali labourers have increased in all the 13 districts of the state and fear that many of them could be Maoists impersonating as a labourers.

"The fear of Maoists is increasing day by day. We can also understand by looking at the increased number of Nepali labourers working in the state," said

Pradeep Kumar, a local resident.

As a result of the nine-year Maoist conflict in Nepal, large numbers of Nepalis are coming to India and these new arrivals are being confronted with the same protection concerns that have plagued generations of Nepalis in India.

Under the 1950 Peace and Friendship treaty between India and Nepal, citizens of Nepal have the right to live and work in India. (ANI)