After Two High-Level Engagements, Nepal and India Look for a Boundary
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WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 177 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 33.5 C 15.0 C Thursday, August 20, 2020 | 04-05-2077 Biratnagar Jomsom After two high-level engagements, Nepal and India look for a boundary meeting Though Boundary Working Group is not mandated to look into the row over Kalapani, experts say its inputs could be valuable for a future meeting at the foreign secretary level. ANIL GIRI Group is not mandated to look into KATHMANDU, AUG 19 Susta and Kalapani, over which the recent tensions have flared up between After two back-to-back high-level Nepal and India, it has been tasked engagements between Nepal and with providing inputs to the mecha- India over the past few days, the two nism formed at the foreign secretary neighbours are now looking to hold a level. meeting of their Boundary Working The foreign secretary level mecha- Group. nism is tasked with resolving the dis- Officials familiar with the develop- putes concerning Susta and Kalapani. ment say the meeting will be held However, it has not held any meeting “very soon” and that it will be signifi- despite both sides expressing willing- cant at a time when the two countries ness for the same. are embroiled in boundary disputes. Experts say engagements between Nepal has proposed the meeting the two countries are always welcome, either in the last week of August or as such meetings and exchanges some time in September, according to help clear confusion and de-escalate two officials from the Ministry of tensions. Foreign Affairs and Department of “The telephonic conversation POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA Survey. between the prime ministers of the Devotees light butter lamps at Gokarneshwor temple in Kathmandu on Wednesday in the name of their dead fathers on the occasion of Kushe Aunshi. A response from India is awaited, two countries and the high-level meet- they said. ing between our foreign secretary and The Boundary Working Group is a Indian ambassador definitely helped joint agency constituted by the gov- break the ice,” said Madhuraman ernments of Nepal and India in 2014 to Acharya, former foreign secretary carry out works in the fields of con- and ambassador. “We can hope for Empowering chief district officers in Covid-19 fight struction, restoration and repair of more bilateral engagements in the boundary pillars including clearance coming days.” of ‘no-man’s land’ and other technical No diplomatic dialogue or high-lev- tasks. el meetings had been held between tramples upon the spirit of federalism, experts say The Group so far has held six Nepal and India until a few days ago meetings. since November when New Delhi pub- The last meeting was held in August lished a new map placing Kalapani Amid criticism for its failure to contain coronavirus spread, the Oli administration has ignored provincial and local last year in Dehradun, India. within India’s borders. governments and granted powers to the district administration offices to issue prohibitory orders. Even though the Boundary Working >> Continued on page 2 BINOD GHIMIRE ments and a ban on all non-essential More than four years since the KATHMANDU, AUG 19 services. On Tuesday, the chief dis- promulgation of the constitution that trict officers of Kathmandu Valley guaranteed federalism in the country, Amid criticism over its response to too imposed prohibitory orders in politicians in the national capital the coronavirus pandemic, especially Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur Kathmandu have not been able to shed after the decision to lift the lockdown for a week effective from Wednesday their penchant for the concept of on July 21, the Oli administration midnight. chief district officers. authorised chief district officers to The federal government’s decision In the past, provinces had com- take measures to contain the virus. to grant powers to the chief district plained about the roles of chief dis- More than a half of the 77 districts officers to respond to the virus spread, trict officers and the rationale behind across the country over the past weeks however, has come into question, with having them to look after the adminis- were put under prohibitory orders, many saying the move is against the trative affairs even when provincial which meant strict restrictions on spirit of the constitution and calling it governments were elected. public mobility and vehicular move- Kathmandu’s double standard. The ministers for internal affairs “Provincial and local govern- and law of all the provinces, during ments should have been respond- their meeting with Prime Minister KP ing, in tandem with the federal POST PHOTO Sharma Oli and Minister for Home government, to this crisis of Provincial governments are opposed to the Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa on July national proportion,” said idea of empowering chief district officers. 30, raised the problem of a lack of Shalikram Jamarkattel, minis- coordination between them and the ter for internal affairs and law of federal government, however, has chief district officers. Bagmati Province. “Provincial undermined the provincial and local The concept of chief district and local governments have been governments by empowering the chief officers has continued from the at the forefront to fight the district officers. Panchayat era. Even after the restora- virus—from management of “The federal government’s decision tion of democracy, chief district quarantine and isolation centres is against the spirit of federalism officers continued to enjoy immense to facilitation for the treatment.” enshrined in the constitution,” power. POST ILLUSTRATION According to Jamarkattel, the Jamarkattel told the Post. >> Continued on page 2 Tensions have flared up between Nepal and India lately over boundary disputes. C M Y K THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL 14 dead, 16 missing in floods and Empowering chief district ... >> Continued from page 1 Covid-19 cases had crossed the 17,000 mark. Experts say politicians in Kathmandu are yet Over the last one month since the lifting of to internalise the fact that in the federal sys- the lockdown, there has been a sudden spike landslides in Sudurpaschim, Karnali tem, the federal government needs to devolve in cases across the country. The Valley too powers to subnational governments. Since has reported a steady rise in infections. chief district officers are appointed by the As of Wednesday, 28,938 persons have been federal government, they owe their alle- infected with the coronavirus across the Achham district hit hardest after floodwaters entered settlements, killing six people and sweeping away 11. giance to Kathmandu and report to the Home country; 2,498 of the cases are in Kathmandu Ministry, thereby undermining the internal Valley. On Wednesday alone, 681 new cases Mayor Dhana Bahadur Bista, affairs and law ministry of the provinces. were reported–159 in the Valley. The death however, claimed that the land- Constitutional experts say the provincial toll stands at 120 with six fatalities reported slide was not triggered by the con- and local governments’ demand that they in the past 24 hours. Twelve people have died struction of the cricket ground but should have a decisive voice in any decision from Covid-related conditions so far in due to the construction of a rural that applies to their area is legitimate. Kathmandu Valley. road to Luyati. According to them, the federal government Not only provincial governments, the fed- “The road construction obstruct- has cited the outdated Infectious Disease Act eral government’s move of granting powers ed the natural outlet of rivulets from 1964 to grant discretionary powers to to chief district officers to take their own and caused the disaster. The the chief district officers. decisions to contain the virus as per their municipality will provide compen- “There should be common decision-making assessment also undermines the local gov- sation to the victims and take pre- in a situation like a pandemic where all tiers ernments. ventive measures to avoid such of government have their say,” Bipin Adhikari, Municipalities are left with no role, as disasters in the future,” he said.. former dean at Kathmandu University School chief district officers, as per the direct orders Floods and landslides also killed of Law, told the Post. “Giving chief district from the federal government, are taking four people and led to the disap- officers the absolute authority to issue prohib- actions, according to Bhim Prasad Dhungana, pearance of five others in Kalikot, itory orders is against the spirit of constitu- general secretary of the Municipal Dailekh and Surkhet districts of tion and federalism.” Association Nepal, a grouping of municipal- Karnali Province. Schedule 6 of the constitution gives the ities across the country, who is also the Four villagers of Rupsa in provincial governments explicit authority to mayor of Neelkantha Municipality in Naraharinath Rural Municipality maintain peace and order in their provinces. Dhading. Ward No. 5 in Kalikot district went Enforcing prohibitory orders and curfew is a “Local governments hold information at POST PHOTO: MENUKA DHUNGANA missing after they were swept part of maintaining law and order in the the household level. They know better about The flood in Achham also swept away 22 houses in Saini Bazaar, a concrete bridge at Darna and nine suspension bridges. away by a flooded stream. The society. the measures to be taken in the time of cri- missing people had gone to “I won’t be surprised if one of the chief sis,” Dhungana told the Post. “But by empow- MENUKA DHUNGANA local unit and five micro hydro- Sristi Regmi, the deputy mayor Chauthe grassland to graze their district officers in my province imposes pro- ering chief district officers, the federal gov- ACHHAM, AUG 19 power projects were also damaged of the municipality, said that the cattle.