KATHMANDU, Nov 10: One and a half months after disruption in supplies from India, the government has made a formal request to the government of India to remove the obstructions along the border and ensure regular supply of essential goods.
A cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar on Monday endorsed a special proposal to make formal request to the Indian government to end the prolonged obstruction in transit and supplies through the Nepal-India border points.
Production and supply of daily essentials to continue
With the obstruction along Nepal-India border, Nepal has faced acute shortage of fuel, medicines and other essentials. With the essentials in short supply, various national and international organizations have expressed fears about likely humanitarian crisis across the country just ahead of the winter.
Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai said that the cabinet has formally appealed to India to ease supply of essential goods including medicines and fuel.
"Today's [Monday] cabinet meeting has requested to the government of India to ease the supply of essentials by removing the obstructions seen in transit and supply and to help further strengthen the relations between the two countries," said Rai while emerging from the prime minister's office after the cabinet meeting on Monday.
The cabinet made the request to India a day after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during a meeting with ministers and secretaries at Baluwatar said he received some hints of the Indian side softening its position and may lift the blockade within a few days. The prime minister however was quick to add that the Nepali authorities must keep all options open and work on alternative measures to address the crisis.
Likewise, Minister Rai informed that the cabinet has decided to appeal to the Madhes-based agitating parities to call off their protests at the outset of the major festivals and seek solution to their demands through dialogue.
"The government has already ensured free medical treatment to protestors injured during protests in the Tarai and it has also started to withdraw charges registered against the protestors. Similarly, the family members of the deceased protestors have started to receive the relief amount of Rs 1 million. In this scenario, we urge the agitating parties to sit for talks," added the minister.
He said the government has expressed its respect for the public for showing patience at time of crisis.
The cabinet has decided to provide Rs 30,000 as monthly allowance to Amber Gurung who composed music for the national anthem and to provide health insurance to Nepal Police personnel on par with the civil servants.
Likewise, the meeting appointed CPN-UML politburo member and former lawmaker Bishnu Rimal as principal political advisor to the prime minister. Similarly, Niru Devi Pal has been appointed public relations advisor and Devendra Dahal as political advisor to the prime minister. Also, the same meeting appointed Govinda Nepal as advisor of Finance Minister.
