Registration system introduced at Nepalgunj border crossing point

Kathmandu Nov 1-Nepali and Indian authorities have enforced the system of registering people while crossing the international border at Nepalgunj-Rupaidiha transit point in mid-western region with effect from Tuesday.

According to officials, citizens from both the countries will have to register their names and produce their identity which could either be passport, certificate of citizenship, certificate of property ownership, I-D card issued by local bodies or student I-D card in case of students.

Talking to reporters in Nepalgunj this morning, acting director general at the Department of Immigration, Mohan Sapkota, said the system had been introduced as per the decision of secretary-level meeting of the two governments a few months back. He said the decision had been taken to regulate the border between the two countries. Sapkota said the system was being enforced on a pilot basis to begin with and could be extended to other border crossing points in future.

Nepal and India have nearly 1750-km long common, open border where people did not need to obtain permit to cross the international border as per the 1950 treaty of peace and friendship between them.

Kantipur daily quoted R S Negi, DIG of Indian paramilitary force, SSB, as saying that the provision was being enforced as a ‘pilot project’ under the first phase. Indian authorities said the provision had been introduced to check movement of unwarranted elements across the border.

In a public notice issued last week, the Home Ministry said new provision was being implemented as per the request of the Indian government.

India is said to be wary of third country elements entering into its territory through open border and spilling over of Maoist insurgency of Nepal into India.

Reports say new provisions are likely to cause troubles to thousands of Nepalis—who don’t have an I-D, but travel to India every year in search of work. Local people have also protested against the provision of registering one’s name while crossing the border every time.

Officials at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu said the provision of registering people at the border crossing points would be extended to other areas along the Indo-Nepal border only if the provision at Rupaidiha-Nepalgunj point was found to be useful.

Up to 15,000 people cross international border between Nepal and India every day, according to reports