Home, External Affairs Ministries at loggerheads over opening of Raxaul-Birgunj check-post

The ₹200-crore Integrated Check-Post (ICP) at the key Raxaul (Bihar)-Birgunj (Nepal) border was expected to modernise the archaic trade infrastructure with the country’s northern neighbour. Instead, it has now become a source of major difference between two ministries at the Centre.

The Land Ports Authority, under the Home Ministry, wanted to open the Indian side of the check-post at Raxaul on June 3. But, according to sources, there is opposition from the External Affairs Ministry, which wants the Nepalease side of the project completed before opening the ICP.

According to the MEA, operationalising the Indian side, without opening the other side, would lead to security issues, harassment of Nepalese importers, and give fresh fodder to the KP Oli government to criticise Delhi.

Raxaul-Birgunj is Nepal’s gateway to the world, handling over 70 per cent of the country’s trade including worth over $4 billion with India. It is also a major route for passenger traffic.

In 2003, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government decided to upgrade 13 trade points with neighbours into ICPs, including the Raxaul-Birgunj gate.

However, till the Modi government came to power, only two ICPs were opened — at Wagah (2010) with Pakistan and Akhaura (2013) with Bangladesh. In the last two years, the Centre opened two more ICPs with Bangladesh (Fulbari and Petrapole) and speeded up completion of facilities with Nepal at Raxaul-Birgunj and Jogbani-Biratnagar.

Unlike at other ICPs, Delhi is creating an integrated facility at Raxaul-Birgunj. While the Home Ministry completed the Indian side, the External Affairs Ministry was driving the project from the other side. Originally scheduled for completion in 2012, the deadline was moved to 2014.

According to sources, the Raxaul side has been ready for at least six months. Even the widening of the 7.5-km highway, which had been delayed, is 90 per cent complete.

The progress on the Birgunj side has been slow allegedly due to lack of cooperation of the Nepalese authorities (in providing land and on other issues) and insolvency of the contractor. Nepal has also failed to create peripheral facilities like widening the 2-km connecting road.

Sources in the Land Ports Authority feel opening the Indian side will put pressure on all stakeholders to speed up the project.

Meanwhile, users remain in the dark about the way forward. “We came to know about the inauguration of Raxaul ICP from Indian news media,” a Birgunj-based importer told BusinessLine .

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