Nepal census team awaits clearance from MEA

Permission to a Nepalese census team to visit Nepal's border villages of Tinkar and Changru via India is still awaited from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Nepal had sought the permission for the team for the ongoing census exercise in the neighbouring country.

''Whenever the permission reaches us from the government, we will inform Nepal,'' Pithoragarh District Magistrate (DM) Ashish Chauhan said.

Chauhan, who was briefing the media after chairing an Indo-Nepal coordination meeting here on Saturday, said the meeting of administrative officers of the border districts of the two countries was concluded with an agreement to maintain the coordination of security agencies on the border and the mutual cooperation.

''Both the teams have given their nod to consider the proposal of making it essential for the citizens of either country to produce identity cards issued by their respective governments while crossing the borders.

''This is essential to identify unwanted elements who enter both India and Nepal, taking advantage of the open-entry system between the two countries,'' he added.

According to the DM, the construction of a motorable road on the Kali river at Charchum and a suspension bridge at Ailagar was also discussed at the meeting.

The officers from both the countries agreed to pursue the matter with their higher-ups, he said.

Besides the DM, others who took part in the deliberations from the Indian district were Chief Development Officer Anuradha Pal and ADM PR Chauhan.

Nepal was represented by Chief District Officer of Darchula Siddh Raj Joshi, DIG, Nepal Armed Police, Narendra Bam and 10 other officers from various departments in the neighbouring country.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)