Mustang's Korala border to be made fully operational: PM Oli

Kathmandu, July 15: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that preparations are underway for the full operation of the Korala checkpoint in Mustang, along with the necessary infrastructure and facility development. 

PM Oli said this during discussions with a delegation of federal parliamentarians representing Mustang and the local level people's representatives held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on Monday night.

On the occasion, PM Oli recalled that he had initiated the construction of the Benighat-Korala road, facilitated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Muktinath, started the process for the operation of the Muktinath cable car, prioritized the construction of the Super Zone for apples, and the mountain goat farming project, among other works in Mustang.

The delegation, led by Prime Minister Oli, requested a reconsideration of tourism royalties as there has been a decline in tourists after the government declared the upper region of Mustang, including Lomanthang and Lho-Ghekar Damodar Kunda Rural Municipality, as a prohibited area and imposed a fee of 500 US dollars per person on foreign tourists.

It was demanded that the Kagbeni-Korala road section under the Kaligandaki Corridor be blacktopped and that necessary structures be constructed to operate the Korala checkpoint fully. The delegation drew the government's attention to the need for construction of physical infrastructure for customs, immigration, integrated security posts, and dry ports at the Korala border transit point.

The elected representatives shared on the occasion that the hotels and local businesses in Upper Mustang were forced to suffer losses due to the incomplete operation of roads and the border checkpoint, as well as the implementation of restricted areas.

Prime Minister Oli instructed his private secretariat to coordinate with the relevant bodies to address those demands.

A few days ago, a team led by the Prime Minister's personal secretary, Binod Bahadur Kunwar carried out a field study visit of the Kaligandaki Corridor and prepared a report on the initiatives needed for the operation of roads and the border check post.

The delegation included federal Member of Parliament Yogendra Gauchan Thakali, chairman of Lomanthang rural municipality Tashinhurbu Gurung, and Lopsang Chhompel Bista among others.

The contract for the 97-kilometre blacktopping of the Kagbeni-Korala road section is still pending, and since the contracts for the construction of bridges over the Tatopani River, Danakhola, Pandakhola, and Tangbe River have been terminated, it seems necessary to restart the work, according to the delegation.(RSS)