Phaktanglung Rural Municipality writes to Taplejung DAO to facilitate opening Tiptala border crossing point with Tibet

Published On: August 17, 2022 12:27 PM NPT By: Khagendra Adhikari

TAPLEJUNG, August 17: Phaktanglung Rural Municipality has written to the District Administration Office, Tapelejung to take initiative to open the Tiptala border crossing point in the northern Taplejung in order to make the daily life of the Nepali residents in the border area easier. The crossing point has remained closed for four years.

The rural municipality pointed out that the residents of the border areas in Olangchungola, Phale, Yangma, and Ghunsa have not been able to export their products and import consumer goods as the border has remained closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman of Phaktanglungrural Rural Municipality Rajan (Mukti) Labung Limbu said that the residents have not been able to export commodities such as animal products, carpets, grasses, and herbs to the Riu of Tibet, and as a consequence of this locals have been suffering from financial difficulties.

Locals complained that their products have not been able to find a market due to the closure of the border. Since they have not been able to sell their products, importing daily consumables has also been difficult. The daily lives of people have been challenging, increasing the risk of relocation of the settlements. Realizing that most of the residents of the border area depend on the Riu market in Tibet for the import and export of daily consumables including food, the rural municipality has sent a request letter to the District Administration Office to facilitate the opening of the border.

There is no proper road network connecting the northern border areas in the district with Phungling– the district headquarter of Taplejung. The rural municipality has said that the cost of transporting daily consumables from the Phungling is three times higher than the cost of purchasing the items. The rural municipality has requested the office to facilitate the environment for the operation of the checkpoint, saying that it takes up to three days for the sick and people in an emergency to reach Phungling as a result of the closure of the border.