An agreement was signed between the then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on October 27, 2009, to operate the border. However, it has not been implemented yet.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Citizens are suffering due to the non-implementation of the agreement signed between Nepal and India 27 years ago for the operation of the Surajpur-Murtiha customs checkpoint located here. On October 27, 2009, an agreement was signed between the then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh for the operation of the checkpoint. However, it has not been implemented yet.
The border checkpoint could not be operated after the Indian Forest Department obstructed it as Katarniaghat is a wildlife reserve. There is a railway station in the dense forest across the border. At that time, an agreement was signed with Nepal to add Murtiha, Maheshpur, Thutiwari, Sikta and Lukha checkpoints. Even though four checkpoints were operational, there is still an obstacle at the Gulariya-Murtiha checkpoint. The central and provincial governments of India have been delaying the implementation of the agreement, saying that there is a delay in the availability of land under the Murtiha checkpoint because it is a wildlife reserve.
After the agreement, the Gulariya Customs Office built a new building. The checkpoint has not been operational yet even though it has been decided to increase the number of employees. The businessmen here are in trouble due to the non-operation of the checkpoint. Even though goods worth lakhs of rupees enter the Indian markets of Laukahi and Balaigau connected to Bardiya every day, revenue has not been collected. The police have allowed the import of goods for household purposes. Devendra Pandey, president of the Gulariya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that this problem has arisen because the government body has not taken the initiative. ‘If the checkpoint was operational, the trade of the hilly districts would have flourished from here via Bhurigaun,’ he said. ‘Goods imported from India will have to be brought from Rupaidiha, the Indian border connecting Nepalgunj.’ He said that this also wastes transportation costs and time. Import and export through the main customs office established in Rajapur in 2022 BS has been stalled for a decade.
The Rajapur main customs office has been stalled after the customs office built near Tikapur in Kailali came into operation. After the customs office in Katarniaghat, India, was also closed through this checkpoint, the main customs office in Rajapur is deserted. At present, the main customs office in Rajapur is staffed by one deputy sub-inspector and one office assistant. Nasu Raju Shahi of Gularia Customs said that due to the non-operation of the checkpoint, the revenue collection target has not been collected. He said that the government body needs to take initiative to operate the checkpoint.
Seven years ago, the Lucknow-based Customs Department had demanded 4,500 square meters of land from the Forest Office. The process has not been able to move forward after the forest officials said that it would take a long time to provide the land. The delay in setting up the office has been due to the fact that the Murtiha area of India on the border is the Katarniaghat Wildlife Conservation Center.
