Locals have demanded to open the origin point of Puspalal Madhyapahari Lokmarg at Panchthar's Yangwarak rural municipality-1 Chiyo Bhanjyang border. On the occasion of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to India, it has been requested to discuss this with the Indian side.
Yangwarak Rural Municipality has sent a letter to the office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers demanding the opening of the checkpoint. Village chairman Bhim Bahadur Yongya said that there is a problem in traveling between Nepal and India (Sikkim) when the border crossing is not operational. He said that the export of local products to India has been stopped, tourists and pilgrims who want to come to Nepal through Chiyo Bhanjyang are not able to use the road, so arrangements have been made for the operation of the border crossing as soon as possible.
Nepal built a road to Chiyo Bhanjyang a decade ago. With the opening of the Madhyapahari Lokmarg track, vehicles started reaching here. Two years ago, the Indian state government of Sikkim also extended the road up to Chiyo Bhanjyang. There is no state presence here. Tourists who want to go to various tourist and religious places in Nepal have not been able to use this road.
"Indian citizens coming from Sikkim to visit the Pathibhara temple and to meet their relatives in various places in the eastern hills have not been able to use the road", said Rajendra Khaling, ward president of Yangwarak-1, "Even those who want to go to Sikkim from here have not been able to use the road."
Hundreds of families from Panchthar and Taplejung have family ties with Sikkim. Even now, marriages take place by turns. Local residents are forced to visit their relatives only with the entry permit provided by the police. "It is equally difficult to bring and take away goods", said Khaling, the ward president. Indian Border Security Force is deployed in the Chiyo Bhanjyang border area. A Border Out Post (BOP) has also been established three years ago on the Nepal side.
Village chairman Yongya says that the checkpoint should be managed when security personnel is deployed on both sides. A demand has been made to establish a customs office here. Local residents say that if the checkpoint is opened, the products of the rural areas of Yangwarak, Phalelung, Sirijungha, Sidingwa, and bordering villages of Panchthar and Taplejung, will get a market in India.
Mechi highway at Yangwarak-6 Ganeshchowk and Tamor Corridor at Hilihang-1 Fedapa connect with Madhyapahari Lokmarg. Chairman Yongya says that if the border is opened, it will be easier to import materials, and revenue collection will increase. 51 km of road from Chiyo Bhanjyang to Yangwarak-4 Darimba of Madhyapahari Lokmarg has yet to be paved. A contract has been invited for the black paper. It seems that it will be easy to bring in Indian tourists after the smooth operation of the border. Even now, Indian tourists visit the Pathibhara temple every day. They are forced to use the long route through Kankarvitta Naka in Jhapa. The rural municipality is demanding that Chiyo Bhanjyang should be developed as a commercial center after making an agreement with the Indian government for the operation of the checkpoint.
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