Kathmandu, Mar 1: Nepal has asked India to immediately close its ‘field office' based in southeast Biratnagar city that was opened in the aftermath of the massive Koshi flooding in 2008.
The Foreign Ministry recently wrote to the Indian embassy here, asking it to immediately close the office, highly placed government sources were quoted as saying by the Republica newspaper.
The ministry has maintained that the office, which was opened to facilitate vehicular movement through Indian territory when a section of road on the Nepal side was disrupted by the flood, is no longer necessary, it said.
Officials said the ministry decided to write again to the Indian embassy as there was no response to a letter sent in January, 2011.
“We have categorically directed the Indian embassy to immediately close the office as it was no longer necessary,” said a senior official at MoFA. “We are surprised at the Indian side dilly-dallying in closing the office even after our directives.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha confirmed to PTI about his ministry's directive to India in this regard.
“We have asked through diplomatic channels for closure of the office since its relevance has already ended,” he said.
The Indian embassy had opened the ‘field office' near Koshi Barrage to provide ‘permits' to Nepalese vehicles in the aftermath of a breach in the Koshi embankment at Kushaha, Sunsari district on August 18, 2008.
The resulting flood left nearly 100,000 people homeless in Nepal and millions in Bihar.
Officials said the office was relocated to Biratnagar without consent from the ministry after the broken road section was repaired a few months later.
