Taplejung, January 7:

The people of Taplejung are yet to receive identity (ID) cards due to lack of awareness among them of the same, though 15 days have elapsed since the government implemented the ID card system to cross the Tibetan border.

As per an agreement between Nepal and China, the people living in nearby villages along the Nepal-Tibet border are required to produce identity cards for crossing the border to either countries.

The people of other districts living in the VDCs along Nepal-Tibet border have already started taking ID cards but the people of Taplejung do not know that they have to produce ID cards to go to Tibet.

According to Chief District Officer (CDO), Raj Kumar Niraula, ID cards were brought to the District Administration Office (DAO) 15 days ago but no one has come to make IDs.

Papang, Lelep and Olangchunggola VDCs of Taplejung are located along the Nepal-Tibet border. The people of these VDCs go to Tibet for shopping. But, due to the lack of awareness, they are still unknown about the implementation of ID cards to enter Tibet.

Chhiring Sherpa, a local of Olangchunggola, said: “I reached the district headquarters after a four-day walk to enter Tibet to buy rice. The Tibet government prevented me from crossing the border in Lacha, as I failed to produce my ID. I was unaware of the new rule.” “We have informed intellectuals, VDC secretaries and social mobilisers of these areas to make people aware of the implementation of ID cards. However, no one has come to take the ID card

so far,” Niraula said.

The card should be renewed every year. The distribution of ID cards has already started in Rolpa, Rasuwa, Solukhumbu, Dolpa, Humla, Sindhupalchok, Manang and Mustang districts along the border.