Nepalgunj, May 7: The Nepalgunj Integrated Check Post (ICP) constructed with the help of the government of India at the Nepal-India border has come into operation from Monday.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari inaugurated the management and operation of the Nepalgunj ICP amidst a function today.

The check post came into operation after two cargo vehicles from Nepal were sent to India. As soon as the check post came into operation, the export and import through the same post has also started from Monday.

Earlier on April 21, 2024, India had built and handed over the check post to Nepal for operation. Minister Bhandari said that this check post will prove to be a milestone in border management and trade facilitation between Nepal and India.

He thanked the government of India for the support to construct the ICP and expressed his belief that this would help international trade to flourish and illegal import and export through the border would also be stopped.

On this occasion, Prashant Bista, Mayor of Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, Dinesh Ghimire, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Dhundi Prasad Niraula, Director General of Department of Customs and Ashish Gajurel, Executive Director of Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board, said that this integrated check post, which had been brought into operation after a long wait, would greatly support the economic development of western Nepal. 

During the India visit of Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on June 3, 2023, Prime Ministers of both countries Narendra Modi and Prachanda jointly inaugurated the ICP from New Delhi, India. 

However, the check post could not be brought into operation because many construction works were not completed. Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board has given the task to TRS Atlas Logipark Pvt. Ltd. for the operation of ICP.

With the support of the government of India, the construction of the check post started on November 25, 2020 and was inaugurated on June 3, 2023. The construction of the check post was done by Rajdeep Buildcon at a cost of around IRs. 2 billion.

The ICP spread over an area of 88 bighas of land in Rupaidiha and Nepalgunj on the Nepal-India border has been constructed for the customs, immigration, plant and animal quarantine, bank, food technology and quality control office, barracks of Nepal Police and Armed Police and staff accommodation.