ICP delay creates chaos at Nepalgunj customs

Published On: January 5, 2020 12:17 PM NPT By: Arjun Oli

NEPALGUNJ, Jan 5: With delays in construction of the Integrated Check Post (ICP), the customs check point has become chaotic in Nepalgunj, the main border point of western tarai.

Trucks, tankers and containers that need to be examined are generally halted along the main road. Hundreds of truck, tankers and containers run between India and Nepal carrying different materials, on a daily basis.

These vehicles are parked along the four-lane road of Nepalgunj-Jamunaha. According to Nepalgunj Customs Office, due to lack of enough space for examining the vehicles, they are kept in the road. The customs office finds it hard to run smoothly for this reason.

“As the ICP is not constructed on time, it is creating problem in examining the vehicles. These vehicles loaded with materials are halted on the road. According to rules, the vehicles need to be parked in the yard of customs office, but due to lack of enough space here, it is not possible,” said Shanti Ram Niraula, chief of the office.

According to Niraula, construction of the ICP will make the customs office more managed. “Construction of the ICP is still unknown. The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction is responsible for the construction. The Ministry of Finance has occupied land for this purpose. Apart from that, we don't have information about ICP construction,” added Niraula.

After construction of the ICP, entrepreneurs will get all official works done from one place. The ICP will house customs office, bank, animal quarantine, plant quarantine, and the office of food technology and quality control within the same premises.

Nepali government has to collaborate with the Indian government who also needs to construct ICP facilities across the border. But the Indian government has not done anything yet. For the ICP, the Nepali government had in 2010 occupied 61.5 hectares of land at Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan-16, Jayaspur.

According to Homnath Bhusal, engineer of Nepalgunj Urban Development and Building Construction, the Indian side is causing delays in the construction. “The ICP will be constructed by the Indian government, but I don't know why it is getting delayed, we are unaware about it,” said Bhusal.