This is the second recent instance of Nepali authorities raising objections to India’s repair work along the border.
The Nepal authorities have raised the border issue with Bihar again. This time, they have forced the state road construction department (RCD) to stall repair and strengthening of the northernmost stretch of Sitamarhi-Bhittamore Road near the border in Sursand block of Sitmarhi district, officials said on Wednesday.
A senior officer of the department, who was not willing to be named, said that the work has been stopped a few days ago after Nepal officials objected to the widening of road in its 1.10km stretch, close to the border, which is about 125 km north from the state capital, Patna. He said the matter has been referred to the state home department for resolution.
The RCD official said Nepal’s objection came as a ‘shock and surprise’ as there was a clearly demarcated border between the two countries on the spot, and both countries’ check posts had been operating on either side of the no-man’s land for decades.
“We were carrying out repair and strengthening down south of the international pillars and beyond the no-man’s land. The state government never faced any objection for any construction work earlier,” said the official, who rushed to the spot immediately after Nepal officials objected to the work, claiming that the area fell under territorial command as per survey records.
Confirming the development, additional chief secretary, home, Amir Subhani said the state government was closely watching the developments on the border with Nepal. “We are trying to find out the solution at the earliest. We are in touch with the Central government also,” said Subhani.
This is the second instance of Nepali authorities raising their objections to construction work being done by the Bihar government near the border.
The fortification work on a Lal Bakeya river embankment in Dhaka area of East Champaran district in the Indian Territory near the no-man’s land had been halted fortnight ago by officials of the Nepalese government. They are now in danger of taking down a section of the embankment. Subhani said the East Champaran-related border issue with Nepal had yet to be resolved.
The relationship between India and Nepal has come under strain after Nepal’s Parliament approved a new political map, claiming its territorial command over key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura of Uttarakhand in May.