By News Correspondent
Nine border pillars at Kanchanpur which demarcated the Indo-Nepal border have disappeared. As the seven main and two supporting pillars have not been searched, thousands of bighas of Nepali land has been encroached by the Indians.
Chief District Officer (CDO) Buddhi Bahadur Khadka while informing the International Relations and Human Rights Committee of the Legislative Parliament, who had reached the area on Thursday, said that 11 pillars were lost without any traces. He added that three of 86 main pillars and eight of the 22 supporting pillars were completely lost.
Including the main pillars, there are 86 border pillars from Khallamsita of Bramhadev at the north-western region to Dudhuwa National park of India at the south-eastern region. Out of these, seven have been lost while three have fallen down. To make the border demarcation, 22 supporting pillars had been built but out of those two had been lost and eight have either fallen down or were not in their proper order.
Locals said that border pillars number 22 and 23 in Ward No. 9 of Dodhara Village Development Committee (VDC) had not been reconstructed after it was swept away by the Mahakali River five years ago.
Similarly, the border pillar number 3 which had been buried during the construction of Tanakpur Dam has also not been rebuilt, Rishi Lumsali, border researcher of the far-western region, said. More than half the areas of Kailali-Dadeldhura and Bharatiyasag are connected to the border.
The number 12 pillar swept away by Jogbuda River and pillars number 182 and 185 of Parashan have been lost since years.
Also, supporting pillar number 204 in Ward No.9 of Laxmipur VDC and pillar number 181 in Shripur have been lost but no attempts have been made to find it or rebuild it.
As the pillars are not being searched or investigations are not being held, locals said that the Indian side caused many problems for them. At border pillar 28-30 about 500 bighas of land have been encroached. From pillar number 34-35 two Indian citizens have made a crooked demarcation and encroached about 12 bighas of land.
Moreover, from pillar 30-00, 100 metres of Nepali land has been joined to with the land of India. Also 50 bighas of land between pillars 35-36 at Patalchula Nala has been taken up by Indian citizen Gurudayal Singh.
Though 360 yards of land between pillars 36-38 had earlier been taken up by the Nepali team for exploration of oil mine, the land is now with the Indian team.
Similarly, after about 500 bighas of land in between pillar number 194-200 in Tribhuwan basti of Nepal was taken up by an Indian national, the Nepalese locals
chased away the survey team of Madhukar Maskey.
Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, border expert, said that border disputes were taking place as the Indian side was not accepting old maps or documents. He further added that they were relenting a little due to the investigations being carried out by Nepal.
Padmalal Biswakarma, coordinator of the parliamentary team, said that the suggestion given by the team played a major role in stopping of signing of documents made by India which stated that 95 per cent of border problems had been solved.
He said, "we will study all the disputes arising in Pyara Tal. Bramhadev and Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve of the district and then prepare a report about the border situation of the entire country." He added that the report would be submitted to the government and claimed that border disputes were arising in 56 places of the country.
Meanwhile RSS adds, eastern team leader of Nepal- India border area inspection sub-committee formed under Constituent Assembly International and human Rights Committee Ramprit Paswan said Nepalis borders are in chaotic conditions in some Nepal-India border areas.
Organising a press meet at Jaleswor of Mahottari district team leader Paswan, who have been leading the team left for border area inspection from Susta of Nawalparasi district to Karobari of Jhapa district, made this remark after the inspection of border areas in Mahottari district yesterday.
Paswan said in some of the places in the border area, it is difficult to separate Nepali and Indian territory.
Giving the information about the border team leader Paswan said Indian side have constructed road and Indian settlements encroaching ‘no-man’s line’ at Dasgaja border area. He added that the cases of misbehaves over Nepali people by Indian security force were also reported.
He said he would suggest the government to deal border encroachment issues holding high-level dialogue among the countries for the protection Nepali land after his return to Kathmandu.
In the press meet, lawmakers Ishwari Prasad Shah, Gauri Mahato Koiri, Bisham Lal Adhikari, Santa Nepali, Puran Rana Tharu including border specialist Punya Prasad Oli were present. Similarly, representatives of various political parties, local administration, social organisations and media persons in the district were present during the meet.
