India refutes check-point reports

KATHMANDU, JUL 16 - The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has refuted media reports about a 'proposal' to set up immigration check points at Pashupatinagar and Lumbini in Nepal. It said no such understanding has been reached with Nepal.

A section of the media, citing minutes of the recently-concluded Home Secretary Level talks between Nepal and India, said that the Indian side has proposed establishing the check points at the two places and that the Nepali side has agreed, in principle, to the plan and will officially respond through the diplomatic channel.

Following the reports, a writ was filed against the move in the Supreme Court. On July 9, the court issued an interim order to the government asking it not to implement the decision.

Nepal's four major political parties--UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madeshi Morcha--had also asked the government to not go ahead with such a plan.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Embassy said that the reports were "misleading representations" of discussions held during the Home Secretary-level talks between in Kathmandu on June 1.

"A proposal to set up immigration check points in both the sides of the border at Pashupatinagar and Lumbini was made in good faith and in the best interests of Nepal, in order to facilitate foreign tourist traffic (of third country nationals) through these points," the statement said.

A week ago, the Home Ministry in Kathmandu had issued a similar statement, denying the media reports. It also said no such agreement has been reached with India.

Immigration check points are never set up by any country in the another country's territory, but adjacent to each other in their own territories, the Embassy said.

"There is no question whatsoever, therefore, of India establishing immigration points within Nepalese territory at Pashupatinagar and Lumbini. The reality is that India and Nepal discussed setting up such immigration check points in their respective territories at these two points, just as they already exist at other agreed points along the India-Nepal border," the Embassy statement added.

It said that the check point at Pashupatinagar is intended to facilitate movement of foreign tourists via Darjeeling in India to Ilam, and the one at Lumbini to facilitate those who wish to visit the place after completing the Buddhist circuit in India. Presently, such tourist traffic is routed through Kakarbhitta and Bhairahawa.

"As the absence of convenient crossing points for foreign tourists is an obstacle for tourism promotion efforts, tour operators had drawn the attention to this at the Joint India-Nepal Tourism Mart that was organised by the Embassy of India in Lumbini in cooperation with Nepal Tourism Board on 14-15 January 2013," the statement said.

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