India to shut down camp office at Nepal’s Biratnagar on August 1

By Shirish B. PradhannnKATHMANDU: India today said a camp office of its embassy in Nepal’s Biratnagar will be officially closed from August 1 as per the request made by the Nepalese government.nnDuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Nepal in May, the decision was conveyed to Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.nn”All services including issuing of motor vehicle permits, registration certificates for Indian nationals, attestation of documents and miscellaneous services (birth/death registrations) being rendered by Embassy of India Camp Office, Biratnagar will cease with effect from 1st August, 2018,” the embassy said in a statement.nnThe embassy has also called concerned persons to contact Indian Embassy, Kathmandu effective from August 1, for these services which were earlier rendered by the camp office in Biratnagar.nnIndia was permitted to set up the temporary field office to issue passes to vehicles for plying on Indian roads in the bordering regions after Koshi floods severely damaged a 17-km stretch of the east-west highway.nnInitially set up in the eastern Sunsari district, the office was later shifted to Biratnagar, about 375 km from Kathmandu.nnThe office, which issued passes to vehicles for plying on Indian roads in the bordering region, outlived its utility after the Nepalese side repaired the damaged stretch of the highway.nnAfter a repair of the damaged portion of the highway, Nepal had asked India to shut down the camp office but the Indian side did not comply, according to Nepalese officials.nnOn May 22, India’s External Affairs Ministry had announced it is winding up the camp office of the Indian embassy as the purpose for which the facility was established has already been fulfilled.nnSource: Press Trust of India