India's correspondence with the Kanchanpur and Kailali administrations to allow their citizens to enter Nepal

Kanchanpur: With the outbreak of the corona virus, the government has announced to close the border checkpoints across the country from April 25. The government, which had carried out a complete blockade for three months, has eased the blockade and now the border has not been formally reopened.

However, unofficially, the Gaddachauki and Gauriphanta border checkpoints have been reopened since June 25. From there, two thousand Nepalis are still going to India daily and more than one thousand Nepalis are entering the country. Thus, those who enter India are allowed to enter Nepal on the basis of citizenship, while those who go to India carry Indian Aadhaar card, ration card and the recommendation of the concerned district administration. 

Although both Nepal and India have opened the border unofficially to repatriate their citizens, Nepalis have been able to go to India for employment lately. The Indian side has not interfered in them in any way. However, Indian nationals who do business in Nepal are barred from entering Nepal because they do not have Nepali citizenship. As a result, the Indian side has written to the District Administration Offices of Kanchanpur and Kailali requesting them to allow their citizens to enter Nepal. 

Shailendra Kumar Singh, District Officer of Lakhimpur Khirika, Uttar Pradesh, India, wrote to the Chief District Officers of Kanchanpur and Kailali on October 5 requesting that Indian citizens be allowed to enter Nepal in accordance with the 1950 Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty.  

The letter said that the local administrations of the two countries had given permission at the border to create an environment for the citizens trapped in the lockdown due to the Corona epidemic to return to their home countries. 

The letter requested for instructions to allow Indian nationals to enter Nepal as per international norms. Chief District Officer of Kanchanpur Ram Kumar Mahato informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs has been informed about this. He said that the management of the border was the responsibility of the center and would move ahead on the basis of the above instructions.