By Deepak Prasad Gautam
Birgunj, July 27: Even though the Nepal-India border has been sealed off after the COVID-19 outbreak, the illegal entrance of Indian nationals has not stopped at the border, thereby resulting in rise in COVID-19 cases in the border area.
Allegations have been made on various factories located in Parsa-Bara industrial corridor for illegally bringing their Indian workers from across the border.
Lalit Kumar Basnet, assistant Chief District Officer, Parsa, said, “We’ve been receiving many complaints about the industry operators illegally bringing their workers from India which had abetted in intensifying the threat of virus spread in the community.”
In order to minimise the risk of virus spread, we have been inspecting the industrial area, he added.
Although quarantine facilities have been set up in the industrial areas themselves to place workers coming from India, majority of industries in Parsa-Bara industrial corridor are blamed for getting their Indian workers sneak into Nepal unauthorisedly, resulting increase in COVID-19 cases in the area.
Gopal Kediya, Chairperson of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that he was unaware of the fact that Indian workers were illegally being brought to Nepal. Kediya appealed to the concerned bodies to investigate into the case and take necessary actions to the industrial owners, if found guilty.
Dhiraj Paswan, a local of Vishwua, Birgunj, said, “The cases of the virus infection are increasing in Birgunj due to the open border shared with India as various workers have sneaked into Nepal and the industry owners aren’t taking any action against them.”
Ramvinesh Sah, another local of Bramhatol, said, “Under the greed of monetary gain, many security officers allow the migrant workers to enter Nepal via various check points.” Around 8 to 10 migrant workers were found working in a factory nearby yesterday itself, he added.
In many jobs like vehicle repairing centres, air pumping shops, shops selling machinery items and repairing items, many migrant workers are found to be working by illegally entering in the country, he added.
As various good carriers have been entering Nepal daily from Birgunj border area, the hotels and vehicle workshops at the border were at high risk of contracting to the virus.
Superintendent of Police Ganga Panta of Parsa Police Office, said, “Birgunj shares 47-kilometer long open border with India. As no surveillance is carried out in the open border area, the chances of Indian nationals illegally sneaking into Nepal are high.”
Panta said that until now, five persons were arrested on the charges of helping people to illegally enter Nepal from India. “They have been detained as per the Epidemic Disease (Control) Act, 2020,” he added.