KATHMANDU, Nov 10: Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has said that supplies via Birgunj border point will resume only after the agitating Madhes-based political parties stop the protests along the Nepal-India border.
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He explained that this will be possible only after the government and the agitating parties reach a political agreement through negotiations, and that would automatically normalize the situation along the border.
"The crisis will remain until and unless the government of Nepal and the agitating parties reach an agreement on the disputed issues," Rae told journalists at an interaction at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu, Tuesday.
He said the Indian side is ready to reroute the trucks away from any troubled area to other border points.
Rae, however, was quick to add that rerouting the trucks alone wasn't a durable solution to easing the supplies, mainly fuel supplies, because only the depots at Birgunj checkpoint were well-equipped and could store sufficient fuel for Nepal's major cities, including the capital.
"It is the Raxaul [Birgunj] depot which is specially-designed to supply sufficient fuel items to Nepal's major markets. At least 80 to 85 percent of fuel supplies come from the Raxaul depot," he said. "When supply from that depot stops, Nepal will naturally face acute shortage of the goods."
Rae rubbished outright the reports that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had received hints that India was lifting the blockade within a few days.
"Possibly, the prime minister might have said so as the atmosphere was so fraught and rumors and speculations were making rounds," the Indian envoy explained. "However, the reality is as what I have explained right now."
Stating that the major problem still lies at the Birgunj border point, he emphasized resolving the dispute with the agitating parties and normalizing the situation there.
He claimed that the Indian side had been consistently suggesting to Nepal's major political parties to produce a new constitution, taking all sections of society into confidence so that all the communities could own the national charter.
He argued that it is not only Kathmanduites who have been facing problems due to the blockade as people in the Tarai were bearing the brunt of the general strike there that has crossed three months.
"Normal life has been crippled in the Tarai region. Schools, banks and industries have remained closed there for months," he said. "So the only solution is to resolve disputes with the disgruntled political parties through dialogues."
Rae said that he can take initiatives to ease the supplies if the government forwards to him the special proposal which was endorsed by a cabinet meeting on Monday.
"I am informed about the government's special proposal only through the media. If I am formally given it, I can work on it seriously," he said.
According to him, the initiatives could be rerouting the truckers to the border points where the situation is normal. "But, still rerouting is not the major solution," he added.
