Online Khabar

Biratnagar, October 4 . Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat has said customs along the Nepal-China border will not reopen anytime soon. Mahat’s remark comes amid increasing pressure to reopen northern border points in the wake of an Indian blockade that has caused a serious shortage of essentials like petroleum products in Nepal.

The trade points ravaged in the recent spate of earthquakes have remained shut for more than five months, due to delay in their repair and maintenance.

“The roads have become inoperable due to the quakes,” he told mediapersons in Biratnagar. “Repairing the roads will take time,” he said, ruling out the possibility of reopening the northern trade points anytime soon. Mahat said reopening these points is not possible also because they lie on a difficult terrain. He called on Madheshi parties, which have been staging sit-ins along southern border points, to end their protests and seek a way out through talks.