NEW DELHI: The contentious India-Nepal boundary issue figured briefly in the talks prime ministers Narendra Modi and Sher Bahadur Deuba had here on Saturday, with the latter suggesting the establishment of a bilateral mechanism to address it. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said there was a general understanding that the issue needed to be addressed in a responsible manner.
The border issue became a flashpoint a couple of years ago after Kathmandu put out a political map that showed three Indian territories - Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh - as part of Nepal.
For his part, Modi said it was discussed that the open borders between India and Nepal should not be misused. “We discussed that the open borders of India and Nepal should not be misused by unwanted elements. We also stressed on maintaining close cooperation between our defence and security agencies,” Modi said while reaffirming India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
Around 98% of Nepal’s transit trade takes place through India and nearly 65% of Nepal’s total trade is with India. So, keeping an eye on cross-border operations is crucial for security.
Among the important takeaways was the restoration of a cross-border passenger rail service. A 35-km Jaynagar-Kurtha section — part of the 68.7 km Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardidas rail link built under the Central government’s grant — was inaugurated. India also launched the RuPay card facility in Nepal and both prime ministers jointly inaugurated the 90 km long 132 KVDC Solar Corridor Transmission line and substation built under the Line of Credit extended by India.