MUSTANG: Home Secretary Rameshwor Dangal and Director General of the Department of Immigration, Ramchandra Tiwari, recently visited the Korala Check Point along the Nepal-China border in Mustang.

The purpose of the visit was to conduct an inspection and study of the area. Loghekar Damodarkunda rural municipality Chair Lopsang Chhompel Bista and Korala-based Immigration Office Chief Prabesh Baduwal briefed the team about matters concerning the border point.

The delegation also inspected the temporary building of the Immigration Office at Korala, the Mustang Customs Office at Nhechung of Lomanthang-2, and the Border Outpost (BOP) of the Armed Police Force (APF).

Customs Office Chief Ramesh Khadka apprised the team of the issues and challenges faced by his office. Similarly, preliminary discussions were held regarding the management of the Lomanthang-based Area Administration Office along with the Immigration Office.

Chair Bista stated that it would be easier for Nepali citizens to visit China if the process of obtaining a Chinese visa could be facilitated at the local level. He proposed making alternative arrangements for issuing Chinese visas from Mustang itself to encourage the movement of tourists and make the Korala Border Point more vibrant. He also demanded the withdrawal of the provision requiring foreigners to pay entry fees in Mustang.

In response, Home Secretary Dangal pledged to develop the Korala point as a Nepal-China international border point. The government had already allocated over Rs 30 million for the construction of a permanent immigration office in Mustang, and the local chair promised to identify an appropriate site for the facility.

“We will focus on managing all necessary infrastructures and developing the route as an approach to Kailash Mansarovar, Shigatse, and Lhasa,” Dangal assured.