RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.660
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2018
OPENING OF ICP AT NEPAL BORDER
660. SHRI MAHENDRA SINGH MAHRA:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether a single agency for construction of Integrated Check Post (ICP) is under consideration given the lack of coordination between the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) under Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA);
(b) the reasons for rescheduling the opening of ICP at Raxaul (Bihar), Birgunj (Nepal) to March 2017;
(c) how many deadlines have been missed for its construction; and
(d) the reasons for the construction of MEA funded mirror border, facilities at Raxaul (Bihar), Birgunj (Nepal) and Jogbani (Bihar), Biratnagar (Nepal) border being inordinately delayed and by when these ICPs would be fully operational?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) The Government of India has constituted the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) under the LPAI Act 2010, with the mandate to develop Integrated Check Posts (ICP) on the international land border of the Country. The LPAI functions as a statutory body
under Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs with representation from various central ministries including Ministry of External Affairs. The Implementation of ICPs at Birgunj and Biratnagar in Nepal is being undertaken by Ministry of External
Affairs in coordination with the Government of Nepal and other relevant agencies. Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs closely coordinate on construction of Integrated Check Posts.
(b) ICP Birgunj will be completed in February 2018 and ICP at Biratnagar is targeted to be completed in December 2018.
(c) & (d) There was some delay in the construction of ICPs in Nepal as it took the Government of Nepal time to provide encumbrance free land, as well as due to disruption caused by earthquake and non-availability of construction material.
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