New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS): The maintenance of internal security and public order is extremely important for border guarding, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra said here on Tuesday.

"It is significantly important that security and welfare of the people along the border area are well attended," he said at a seminar organised by Ficci.

Vohra said: "If you look after people along the border, it goes a long way in helping providing border security and bringing about overall improvement in the situation in the border state."

He gave the example of 1965 in Punjab, where there were lot of logistic support and intelligence inputs from the people in Punjab during the war time.

Later, talking to IANS, former Home Secretary G.K. Pillai stressed the importance of empowering the local people and local Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir and said this will prove more vital to secure border areas and also bring significant improvement in the state.

"At present in Jammu and Kashmir, local Panchayats do not have any power and steps should be taken to empower them. This will help bringing in new set-up of local leaders in the state," he said.