INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
BENI, SEPTEMBER 23After Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal left for a weeklong visit to China, the issue related to the
operation of Korala transit point bordering Tibet Autonomous Region of China has emerged as a public concern.
paying official visit to China from Sept 23 to 30
abroad will be able to vote: Prime Minister Dahal
In the context when both the countries have yet to materialise operations of Korala transit point, the prime minister's official visit to
China has boosted local people's confidence in its operation.Following the agreement with Nepal to open eight more transits including Korala
point, the Chinese side has completed necessary preparations for the same
At the transit, China has protected itsland with a barbed wire fence.
It has placed security arrangement and also built a
building on no man's land
The Chinese side has already blacktopped the road up to the border, and has made all preparations for a port, security post and customs
office.China has completed all preparations for the operation of Korala transit, and it wants guarantee of security sensitivity from the
Nepali side along with preparations, said Namdu Gurung, member of Gandaki Province Assembly.As China has completed all the preparations for
the operation of the transit, there is hope for agreement during Prime Minister Dahal's visit for the operation of the transit considered to
be a lifeline for the economic development of Gandaki Province, he said
The border is important in terms of both transit and tourism
If the border can be brought into operations, flow of international trade and religious tourism will begin
Largely, the transit plays a role in the development of Mustang and Gandaki Province
"We have been continuously raising our voice on the issue before the provincial government and the Province Assembly
Even the federal government is aware of the matter," he said.In the Korala transit lying in the flat land of the desolate Himalayan desert,
the only identity of Nepal at the border is pillar number 24 with 'Nepal' written on it
During the official visit of then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in March, 2016, a trade and transit agreement was signed with China
During the visit in June 2018, an agreement was reached between the two countries to open additional transits
There has been delay in the construction of the Myagdi section of the under-construction Beni-Jomsom-Korala road targeting the Korala
The under-construction Kaligandaki corridor road, which is considered very important in terms of transit and trade, is the basic
infrastructure of the Korala transit.The graveling and blacktopping of the road up to Korala through Ghansa and Jomsom has reached its final
But the construction of the road between Beni and Ghansa has been affected due to factors like floods, landslides and river erosion.While
the famous Korala border has drawn widespread attention between the two countries, the trade fair which had been traditionally taking place
biannually has been closed for four years, said Tasi Nharbu Gurung, chairperson of Lo Manthang Rural Municipality.As the Chinese side has
showed its desire to open the crossing this year after completing the construction of the entire infrastructure and halting the trade fair,
the news that the issue will be taken up during the visit of the Prime Minister to China has made residents of Mustang confident that there
will be further progress in border operations, he said.The acquisition of around 1,000 ropani land has been completed for the construction
of the infrastructure for an integrated customs office on Korala transit premises, and soil testing has been also done
The soil was tested after the Ministry of Commerce released the budget for the survey and detailed project report.According to the district
administration office, Mustang, a team assigned to test the soil examined the soil in the proposed site to build infrastructure at the
Targeting the Korala transit, a border police post has been set up in Lo Manthang, and an area police office at Nechung of Chhoser
Keeping in view border security, a border outpost of the Armed Police Force has been established at Nechung, around 20 km away from the
Korala crossing.A version of this article appears in the print on September 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com
