Upper Mustang residents get permits for China visit

Exit permits are being distributed to residents of two rural municipalities adjoining the Nepal-China border in Mustang district.

The District Administration Office, Mustang stated that they have started issuing exit permits to the residents of Lho-Manthang and Lho-Ghekar rural municipality adjoining the border with China for them to enter China.

Chief District Officer Janak Raj Panta shared that employees of the District Administration Office assigned at the Area Administration Office, Lho-Manthang have been collecting applications for the permit from the residents on the basis of the recommendation of the local governments.

"We have started collecting the applications from Tuesday. I myself am preparing to go to Lho-Manthang to sign the exit permits as there are no other officer-level employees at the Area and the District administration offices," he said.

China had expressed its readiness to open 14 trade transit points on the Nepal-China border, including the Korala transit during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's recent official visit to China.

The process of distributing the exit permits has been taken ahead along with the preparations to operate the Korala transit. Citizens holding the permits can go to China and return at any time. The DAO had on Monday sent three of its employees to the Area Administration Office, Lho-Manthang for the distribution of border passes.

CDO Panta said that although a decision has been made to open the transit point, the date has not been set yet. "We are preparing to open the transit at the earliest by holding meetings with Chinese security officials and establishing coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs," he added.

The Home Ministry sent to the Mustang District Administration the diplomatic note the Embassy of China wrote to the Ministry on September 20, urging the district administration to carry out preparation to open the border transit point. CDO Panta said preparation has been made for holding a meeting after some days between the officials of Nepal and China on deciding the date for opening the border transit.