The two customs offices along Nepal-China border -- Tatopani and Rasuwagadi -- have not been operational since the April 25 earthquake. But the unrest in Tarai for the past one and half months and fresh 'blockade' enforced by India has forced the government to expedite the process to reopen the two customs offices. The upcoming festive season has also forced the government, according to Ministry of Supplies."The Chinese government is positive about reopening both the customs offices by October 15," Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies Naindra Prasad Upadhyay told a parliamentary committee on commerce on Thursday morning. "We had discussion with the Chinese officials on Wednesday too," he said, adding that the northern neighbor is ready to help Nepalis get enough supplies for festivities. The festivals -- Dashain and Tihar - fall in the last week of October and the first half of November.
The unrest created by the Tarai-Madhes parties and India's 'blockade' is sure to make the lives of Nepalis hard during the festivities.
The agitating parties on Thursday disrupted supplies from the southern plains to pile pressure on the government. However, they forgot that the blockade will only widen their distance with Kathmandu and other region, as their protest will create shortage before the festivals.
Likewise, India has halted more than 1,000 oil tankers and trucks with essential supplies from entering Nepal to express its dissatisfaction with political parties who didn't take Indian recommendations for the constitution.
Though India's Ministry of External Affairs has said that the Indian government has not prescribed any recommendations, the Indian media published New Delhi's 7-point recommendations.
According to customs officials, around 1,500 oil tankers from India used to enter Nepal every day from the Jogbani Customs Office. But there has been no movement for the past three days, creating shortage in Nepal. Long queues have started forming at petrol pumps as people rush to fill tanks of their bikes and cars fearing prolonged shortage.
Meanwhile, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has also requested people to use public vehicles to lessen demand for petroleum products.
Due to the disturbance in southern plains since more than last one and half months, revenue mobilization has plunged by 35 percent in Bhadra -- the second month of 2015/16, according to the Department of Customs.
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