India snubbing Nepal’s requests for talks to resolve border issue

MCC dismissal would harm country’s image abroad

Kathmandu, June 9

 Kathmandu, June 9: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishwar Pokhrel said Tuesday that the information regarding establishment of airbase office of the Nepali Army in Nijgadh of Bara district was baseless. 

"Army is not establishing an airbase office in Nijgadh of Bara, which is completely baseless and doesn't have any truth in it, and I hereby urge all respected lawmakers not to raise such baseless issues in this august parliament henceforth," DPM Pokhrel said while responding to the queries raised by lawmakers about the budget allocation to the Ministry of Defense.

He said the NA had currently been establishing its airbase office only in Surkhet covering western Nepal including Sudupaschim and Karnali States for conducting rescue and relief operation during any kind of natural disaster.

For the new fiscal year, the government has allocated Rs 400 million for completing Surkhet-based airbase infrastructure by the end of the fiscal. 

DPM Pokhrel clarified that Nepali Army was not a profit making institution and was not doing so.

"It is, however, true that the NA has been doing some business-motivated activities from their own fund deposited in the Nepali Army Welfare Fund established since 1975 AD, and under the Regulation-2008 of the Fund, which allowed them to do so just for the welfare of their serving and retired staff members and their dependent family members," DPM Pokharel said.

In another question of the lawmakers, DPM Pokhrel said the NA was closely but indirectly inspecting and keeping records of Nepal's territory in the south and north by establishing coordination with the semi-military force i.e. the Armed Police Force (APF).

As per international principles and practices of the world, the NA cannot be deployed directly in the border, he said.

Likewise, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawal  said India had undermined the sovereignty of Nepal by snubbing requests to sit for dialogue through but publishing a map claiming Nepali territory and constructing a road through our land unilaterally.

He said India took the benefit of time constraints and encroached the Nepali land.

"Nepal had been trying for the mapping of the land east of Kali River since 1981 but we are not allowed to go up from Kuti. India had consented to foreign secretary level meeting for multiple times but evaded such discussions," he said.

Stating that it was astonishing that India was never ready to sit for dialogue despite Nepal's multiple calls, FM Gyawali maintained that Nepal had published the map including Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulek as a symbolic step.

"We are continuously urging and following up with India for the talk on the border issues as there is no alternative to it. Nepal has claimed the land which was set as per the Sugauli Treaty, 1816," he said. "Nepal has not aspired for additional land, therefore if India accepts the earlier documents, the dispute will be resolved," he added.

He also expressed his surprise that India was sitting in dialogue with China on border issues in Laddakh but it has long ignored Nepal. Nepali Congress Lawmaker Narayan Khadka had asked the Minister if the government was working on alternatives considering the double standards of the southern neighbour.

Following Nepal's multiple diplomatic notes, protesting its encroachment and unilateral development work in Nepal's territory, India had said that it would sit in dialogue with Nepal when the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Minister Gyawali criticised the lawmakers' words terming the map-publication as a 'drama' 'map-weapon'. NC lawmaker Pradeep Giri had said the act was a 'map-weapon'.

He also updated the House that Nepal was moving ahead confidently to getting its land back, and border outposts were being built, and hoped that the Eminent Persons Group's report would be accepted by India.

Minister for Finance Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada said that Nepal should not turn its face away from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement.

The US$ 500 million grant for the construction of high-powered cross-border transmission line and upgrading of strategic road is in controversy following its implementation announcement last year. 

Finance Minister Dr Khatiwada warned that cancelling the agreement right before its implementation would have a severe repercussion on Nepal-USA ties and international cooperation that Nepal had been enjoying.

He urged the parliament to hold a discussion on the topic at the earliest.

The Millennium Challenge Account Nepal – as the project is named – should start its work next month as per the earlier agreement. There is a provision that the agreement should be ratified by the parliament, however.

"This agreement is being discussed in the parliament. Let's discuss it here. It is a cooperation agreement, however we can discuss whether it's under the security umbrella of any country," he said. "The agreement was signed by the Ministry of Finance. It does not matter who was the minister while signing the contract. The Prime Minister has said that it was a matter of continuity of the government."

He said that the amendments can also be made in the sub-agreements.

A committee led by Senior Leader of NCP and Former Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal had recommended that the agreement should not be ratified without amendment. If the agreement is not endorsed by the House, it will be terminated since just a month and a half remains for the commencement of the project.

Dr Khatiwada informed the House that the government would publish the detail of the expenditure made in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

"The government will publish every detail of the expenditure. The government is transparent and accountable," he said. 

Lawmakers had demanded the details about the Rs 10 billion expenditure in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus. NC lawmaker Gagan Thapa said that it was illogical that Rs 10 billion was spent while only 5 PCR machines and 25,000 RDT kits were procured.

Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal said the government was giving high priority to border protection and security, and was planning to set up 500 border outposts in the coming fiscal year in phase-wise manner. In the first phase, 221 BoPs will be set up and 129 BoPs have already been established including the recent BoPs established in Chhangru of Darchula and Hilsa of Humla district. Minister Thapa said that the government established 1,213 BoPs in different parts of the country to tackle the risk of COVID-19 pandemic and control human mobility from India.

The Ministry has got a budget of Rs 138.62 billion for the new fiscal year. 

Likewise, Minister for Energy Water Resources and Irrigation Barsaman Pun said that the government was planning for energy trading through ‘energy exchange programmes’ from coming fiscal year.

“Instead of wasting our hydropower, the government will sell it to neighbouring countries, possibly India and Bangladesh,” he said.

Responding to the queries of lawmakers, Minister Pun said that ensuring markets to the wasted energy was the most challenging job to the government now.

The ministry has been allocated Rs 99.29 billion from which Rs 72.6 billion is for energy sector development and Rs 26.69 billion for water resources and irrigation.

The minister also said that 50 charging stations would be constructed in the coming year. He said irrigation sector would be prioritised for job creation in the country.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 10 June 2020. Jointly written with Purushottam Khatri and Ranju Kafle.