Tribeni, November 6:

Tribeni Bazaar, which used to be very busy till ten years ago, now wears a deserted look after Guthi Prasauni Chhoti custom office at Tribeni Bazaar has been closed since 1996.

“Customers used to flock to this market till ten years ago, but now we don’t have many customers in our shops,” Ramesh Chandra Rauniyar, a businessman from the market, said.

Earlier, customers even from bordering Indian cities used to visit Tribeni Bazaar via

Prasauni Chhoti custom point, according to him.

The Chhoti custom point at Tribeni was closed in 1996 following an agreement between the Nepal and Indian governments. Tribeni, which also has religious and historical importance, lies on the bank of Narayani river, some 25-km east of district headquarters Parasi in Nawalparasi.

“More than a 100 local businessmen have been displaced from Tribeni. We hardly have business worth Rs 1,000 in a whole day now,” another businessman Lakkhi Chandra Unai, said.

He added that till ten years ago, hundreds of devotees from India used to visit Tribeni via the Prasauni custom point but this too has been stopped after the closure of the custom point.

Local journalist R P Upadhyay said that to bring back the old glory of Tribeni bazaar, Guthi Prasauni Chhoti custom should be reopened and a road linking Tribeni to Dumkibas should be constructed.

Local residents and businessmen at Tribeni have accused the government of remaining

apathetic towards the development of Tribeni.

Acting chief of Bhairahawa custom office, Shaligram Mishra said as the Guthi Prasauni chhoti custom point was closed by the custom department, it can only be reopened at the initiatives of the custom department.