Nepali, Indian officials decide to address border issues

Published On: December 18, 2016 07:00 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

PARSA, Dec 18: A meeting of the district administration officials from Nepal and India to resolve the border dispute has reached a three-point decision on managing the Nepal-India border.

The meeting was held at the Vishwa Hotel in Birgunj at the initiation of the District Administration Office, Parsa.

Chief District Officer of Parsa district Keshav Raj Ghimire said the decisions reached by the meeting include initiating the inspection of the border pillars in Bara, Parsa and Chitwan districts from December 20, identifying and listing the encroached upon areas on both sides of the Nepal-India border and convening the next joint meeting of the district administrations in May 2017.

He said the officials from both countries made an assessment of the repair, maintenance and the reconstruction works and the monitoring carried out last year in the border areas adjacent to Chitwan district, and also agreed to resolve the problems with the participation of officials from both countries by identifying the encroached upon areas along the international border.

CDO Ghimire said 473 new border pillars had been constructed and the dilapidated ones repaired on the Nepal-India border in the three districts while 1397 pillars needed to be constructed and repaired. He said discussions were also held with Indian officials regarding the illegal quarrying of sand, pebbles and stones carried out by the Indians at Oriyakhola area on the Nepali territory. The Indian side has given assurances to take initiatives for stopping the illegal quarrying, he added.

CDO Ghimire had led the Nepali team while Lokesh Kumar Singh, the District Magistrate of West Champaran, Bihar had led the Indian side in the discussions.

The Chief District Officers, senior police officers, chiefs of the district survey office and forest office of Bara, Parsa and Chitwan districts from Nepal and the police chiefs and chiefs of the district survey offices of the East and West Champaran districts, the SSB chief of the Piparakothi and the chief of the West Champaran district of India also participated in the discussions. RSS (Photo available)

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