Amidst boundary tensions, India-Nepal meet next week

New Delhi, Aug 12: A thaw in tensions is expected when Nepal's foreign secretary Shankar Das Bairagi will lead a team of officials, while the Indian side would be headed by Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

The two sides would meet next week to review the projects funded by the Indian government. The meeting will take place through video-conferencing owing to the pandemic. The meeting in all likelihood will be held on August 18.

In its post-earthquake reconstruction work, India is building roads in the Terai region. To help Nepal India is building railway lines, a police training academy, an oil pipeline, border check posts and a polytechnic college. India has allocated Rs 800 crore for the projects.

In June, Nepal's upper house unanimously cleared the constitutional amendment bill to reflect its new map in the national emblem.

The lower house had earlier cleared the new map, which was supported by all the 258 lawmakers who were present. According to the new map Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura are now being claimed by Nepal as its own.

A boundary row sparked off after Nepal staked a claim to Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Army Chief, General M M Naravane had said that there is reason to believe that Kathmandu's objection to the road via Lipulekh has been at the best of someone else. The Army chief was apparently hitting at a Chinese hand.