Nepal and India Agree to Intensify Border Pillar Maintenance

Dhangadhi. Officials from Nepal and India have agreed to move forward with the conservation, maintenance, and reconstruction of border pillars with more speed and effectiveness. Both sides expressed consensus on improving the physical condition of border structures in the meeting of the 'Nepal-India Joint Border Survey Field Team No.-4' held in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur on Monday. The meeting was attended by officials from Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, and Darchula on the Nepali side, while security and administrative heads from Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, and Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat, and Dharchula districts in Uttarakhand were present on the Indian side.

According to Joint Border Survey Team Chief Gyanendra Bisht, who presented the progress report of the current fiscal year, 11 border pillars have been reconstructed and 52 have been maintained in five districts of Sudurpashchim during this period. Furthermore, upon physical inspection of 402 border pillars, it was found that most pillars are in dilapidated condition, leading to the conclusion that further maintenance and reconstruction should be prioritized in the coming days.

Kanchanpur's Chief District Officer Madan Koirala clarified that this meeting was focused on the physical management and conservation of dilapidated pillars for years, rather than resolving border disputes. He stated, 'Important discussions and agreements have been held among officials from the administration, security, survey, and forest sectors of both countries to effectively manage border pillars.'

Similarly, Kailali's Chief District Officer Hiralal Regmi, who led the Nepali side, reviewed the work of the past three months and informed that the search for missing pillars and the repair of damaged structures will be intensified.

Likewise, Udham Singh Nagar's District Magistrate Nitin Singh Bhadauria, leading the Indian team, assured full cooperation and commitment from the Indian side to make the joint team's work more results-oriented.