Nepal-India border points to be closed on Jul 24 and 28 for Uttarakhand panchayat polls

The Nepal-India border crossings in Baitadi and Darchula districts will be temporarily closed on July 24 and July 28 in view of the upcoming panchayat elections in Uttarakhand, officials here said on Wednesday.

The panchayat elections in Uttarakhand are scheduled to be held in two phases on July 24 and July 28.

The decision to shut the border crossings in Baitadi and Darchula on July 24 and July 28 has been taken due to the upcoming panchayat elections in the neighbouring Indian state, Baitadi Chief District Officer Punya Bikram Poudel said.


The decision has been made to ensure security and maintain law and order during the election period in the Indian border region, officials said.

Though the border crossings will remain closed on only two days, the Pulghat checkpoint in Darchula district will be shut down from the evening of July 21 till the morning of July 24, and the Jhulaghat checkpoint in Baitadi will be closed from the evening of July 25 till the morning of July 28, Poudel said.

In case of emergencies, the checkpoints could be opened temporarily through mutual agreement between the authorities of both countries, he said.