BIRATNAGAR, MAY 28 - The government has started acquiring land for construction of the Nepal-India Joint Customs Office (JCO) at Vediyari of Budhanagar VDC in Morang. The JCO is being built with a grant assistance of Rs. 2 billion from India.
The project stalled for one and a half years as the Nepal government could not obtain the required 70 hectares of land. The Department of Archaeology opposed the project as the planned building site lay in the historical palace area of King Birat.
"The land acquisition process progressed after the department suggested leaving 600 m of land on the northwest side instead of the historical site," said Gopal Khatri, a customs officer. RITES, an Indian construction company, had conducted a survey of the proposed JCO building site and submitted a report to the Nepal government in 2007. The company had also conducted mapping of a check post and railway.
Although India had made preparations to start construction in January 2009, Nepal's failure to make the land available delayed the project. "The land is being acquired with the recommendation of the inspection team," said Pradeep Khanal, coordinator of the Land Acquisition Committee.
Khanal added that the process would be completed within the current fiscal year. India has built a railway station at Bathanaha and has begun construction of a railway from Bathanaha to Vediyari. Three years ago, the Indian government had decided to construct JCOs at Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj to facilitate customs management.