41 fuel tankers enter Nepal from border

Jhapa/Bhairahawa, October 5

A total of 41 vehicles carrying petroleum products entered Nepal through various entry points today.

Sources at Biratnagar customs informed that 32 tankers, including 20 diesel and 10 petrol tankers and two bullets of liquefied petroleum gas entered Nepal via Jogbani entry point today afternoon.

Besides, cargo trucks laden with food, fruits and other industrial commodities also made it into Nepal through the entry point today following a discussion held at the local level between the Nepali and the Indian side yesterday.

The Indian side, however, stopped Nepal-bound vehicles citing some glitches in the computer network system later in the day today. It has said that the process of customs clearance will be expedited allowing vehicles to pass through the entry point only after the failed computer server is repaired.

According to customs chief Krishna Basnet, around 800 vehicles, including 100 carrying petroleum products, are queued up at the Jogbani entry point now.

In Jhapa, four bullets carrying LPG entered Nepal through Kakadbhitta entry point.

According to DSP Shyam Adhikari of Kakadbitta Area Police Office, 127 cargo trucks have also crossed the border through the entry point.

In Nepalgunj, five diesel tankers and two bullets of LPG entered Nepal through Rupaidiya entry point, compared to yesterday when not a single consignment of petroleum had entered Nepal.

In Rupandehi, eight security personnel including two DSPs were injured when United Democratic Madhesi Front leaders and cadres who had reached the Belhiya entry point to put up their blockade pelted stones at them today.

A mediaperson received minor injury when a stone hit him. The attack occurred at about 1:00pm when police approached the agitators urging them not to block the entry point.

DSP Rameshwor Karki of Nepal Police and DSP Shankar Khanal of Armed Police Force and local journalist Sharada Malla are among the injured when agitators also used catapults to lob marbles at security personnel. After the attack, the agitators had fled to India.

Police arrested three demonstrators namely Ramesh Yadav, Ramu Yadav and Shivadas Yadav from the site.

Given the incident and the ensuing tension, no vehicle entered Nepal through the Belhiya entry point from 1:00pm onwards.

According to Inspector Rabin Babu Regmi, 37 cargo vehicles except oil and gas tankers entered Nepal through the entry point before the tension built today.

No vehicle entered from the main commercial entry point Raxaul today.

According to Birgunj customs, the blockade was due to the sit-in by UDMF cadres at Miteri bridge for the past 11 days. Meanwhile, UDMF cadres holding the sit-in at the bridge took Nepal Oil Corporation Birgunj regional office manager Ashok Sah under control before releasing him four hours later.

He was detained while he was heading to the Raxaul depot of India to hold talks with the Indian side to ease the supply of fuel. He was forced to participate in the sit-in. He was also made to chant slogans in support of the agitation.