Nepal, India Review Progress of ICPs

February 25: Nepal and India reviewed the progress in preparations for operationalising the Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at Raxaul and Birgunj and agreed to resolve outstanding issues at the earliest.

According to the Kathmandu-based Indian Embassy, the decision was taken during the 8^th meeting of Nepal-India Project Steering Committee (PSC) for the construction of the ICPs held in New Delhi on February 22.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deependra Nath Sharma, the Secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development of Nepal, and the Secretary for Border Management of the Government of India, Braj Raj Sharma, the Indian Embassy said in a statement.

During the meeting, the consultant for the Project, RITES Ltd, briefed the delegates about the progress achieved in the construction of the ICPs at Birgunj and Biratnagar so far.

RITES Ltd also updated the PSC on the preparations for the construction of ICPs at Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj.

According to the statement, India and Nepal had signed a MoU for the construction of the ICPs at four cross-border points along the India–Nepal border. In the first phase, the construction of ICPs at Raxaul–Birgunj as well as Jogbani–Biratnagar was taken up. The ICPs will have state–of–the–art facilities, integrated customs and immigration services etc for smooth cross–border movement of goods and services as well as passenger traffic, the statement further said.