Kathmandu, September 29

Movement of goods from India to Nepal was obstructed at Birgunj and Biratnagar customs points for the sixth consecutive day due to the protest of the Tarai-based parties.

Indian customs points at Raxaul (Birgunj) and Jogbani (Biratnagar) have not been dispatching cargo vehicles to Nepal citing protests at the border points. Protesters have been staging sit-in at the border points for the last six days, said Mitralal Regmi, chief customs officer of Birgunj Customs Office.

“The movement of vehicles to and from India has come to a complete standstill since the last six days as the

protesters have staged sit-in in ‘no man’s land’,” told Krishna Basnet, chief customs officer at Biratnagar Customs Office.

Today, Bhairahawa Customs Point of the western Tarai also faced similar problems that had been plaguing the Birgunj and Biratnagar Customs Offices since the last few days.

Protesters today vandalised the trucks laden with essential commodities and raw materials on the Indian side and not a single vehicle entered Nepal, according to Lavanya Dhakal, chief customs officer at Bhairahawa Customs Office.

Bhairahawa was not affected by the protests and the locals irked with long strikes and bandhs had attacked the protesters, who tried to obstruct the vehicles entering Nepal, on Monday.

Only 10 trucks and containers laden with essential commodities and industrial raw materials entered Nepal today, informed Rajendra Hamal, chief customs officer at Nepalgunj Customs Office. A cooking gas bullet, and some vehicles loaded with cement, clinker and potatoes entered Nepal from Rupedia Customs Office of India.

Nepalgunj remains unaffected due to the protest like that being witnessed in Birgunj and Biratnagar. “Even as the Nepali side has been frequently requesting the Indian side to dispatch cargo vehicles that have remained stranded at the border since long, they have been sending only a handful of trucks every day,” said Hamal.

In recent days, they have been dispatching trucks laden with perishable commodities like fruits, fresh fish, vegetables, instead of fuel and other essentials, according to Deependra Jha, information officer of Mechi Customs Office.

The Panitanki Customs Office of India today reportedly dispatched 16 trucks and containers through Mechi Customs Office. “The vehicles included four trucks laden with potatoes, two with dry onions, two with fresh fish, one with vegetables, two with clinkers, and one with coal, among others,” informed Jha.