RANJHA, OCTOBER 10

More than 200,000 Nepalis who had gone to different places of India for employment have entered Nepal through the Jamunaha border crossing near Nepalgunj, on their way home to celebrate the Dashain festivities.

People had started coming home using this border transit point since the start of the Dashain festival period seven days back. Two hundred thirty-five thousand and 556 Nepalis have entered Nepal from India through the Jamunaha inland border crossing in a period of 22 days from September 17 to October 8, said Police Inspector Upendra Bahadur Budhathoki, the Chief of the Area Police Office, Jamunaha.

"There is a long line of Nepalis, who had gone for work and returned from various places of India, at the border crossing at Jamunaha each day, waiting to enter Nepal on their way home for the Dashain festival.

The number of those leaving Nepal for India is relatively less than that of those entering the country from India," he said.

According to him, 165 thousand and 281 Nepalis have crossed the border over into India via the Jamunaha border transit point in the last 22 days.

A traveler help desk has been set up at the transit point in coordination with the District Traffic Police for facilitating the India-returnees. The Nepal Police has also conducted a public awareness to prevent the India-returnees from being duped by the hoteliers, taxis and transport entrepreneurs. Mostly people from Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot, Salyan, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan and other districts of west Nepal go to different places of India for work.