Border dispute in Kanchanpur becomes an election agenda

Dhangadhi: Gobind Gautam was shot dead on 26 February 2073 in Anand Bazar, Punarwas Municipality of Kanchanpur. He was killed in an Indian Border Security Force (SSB) firing. SSB fired at 25-year-old Gautam during a dispute over the construction of a culvert at Anand Bazar, bordering 10 km south of Dhangadhi.

The Nepalese protested that the Indian side had built a unilateral culvert. The government declared him a martyr. The border dispute still persists in the southern part of the district. The residents of the border area complain that the government has not been able to play an effective role in solving the problem.

The candidates for the House of Representatives, which will be held on November 20, are again asking for votes to solve the border problem. Bina Magar, the candidate from Kanchanpur-1 from the ruling coalition, said that the voter's house is in Dailo with a plan to resolve the border dispute in the southern part of the district.

She said, 'There is a Nepal-India border dispute in Kanchanpur. Some processes had begun. But not resolved. My candidature is also for the union government to resolve the border dispute. There are border disputes in various places of Kanchanpur's Beldangi, Belauri, Punarwas, and Bhimdatta municipalities. During the demarcation from Pillar No. 33 to Pillar No. 34 in Belldandi Rural Municipality-3, a new demarcation has been made so that the land of hundreds of families who have been enjoying life since the year 2028 and who have red parts is towards India.

Pillar No. 38 in Belauri Municipality-8 Pachui of the district was considered a witness pillar. But now column number 38 in the strip map is considered the main boundary column. The construction of even the post road has been banned as it falls on Indian land.

According to Chief District Officer Gopal Prasad Aryal, no new work has been done to resolve the border dispute. He said that there was no new problem in the border-Naka area. India has been claiming the land that Nepal has been occupying and including Lalpurja as its own.

India has been claiming the Nepalese territory from columns 37 to 38 to 39 of the district. The boundary pillar number 200 in the border area of ​​Belauri Municipality Ward No. 1 and Punarwas Municipality Ward No. 4 is missing. Gobind Gautam died in the same area.

Punarwas Municipality Ward No. 9 of the district was given a contract by the District Development Committee, Kanchanpur till 2058. Two hundred meters south of the lake there was a boundary pillar number 195. The dispute started after the pillar was pulled down.

Nepal side is responsible for making odd-numbered pillars. But even though it is odd-numbered, this boundary pillar has not been restored. Magar, who has become a member of the House of Representatives from Kanchanpur Constituency No. 1, said that there is also a plan to re-operate the Belauri customs post along with the border dispute resolution. He claims that he has started the process for the re-operation of the Belauri customs post along with other border posts of Nepal. Due to the open border between Nepal and India, the citizens of Kanchanpur's south region are confused. Citizens of border areas have always felt unsafe due to Indian Border Security Force and smugglers.