By Arpana Adhikari
Kathmandu, June 27: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Friday dwelt on the border issues.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali briefed the meeting about the government efforts made to resolve the Nepal-India border dispute.
Briefing the media after the meeting, party spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that the meeting was focused on the outstanding Nepal-India border disputes and the media reports regarding Nepal-China boundary and encroachment of Nepali territory by the northern neighbour.
Responding to the queries of the committee members over the border issue, Minister Gyawali said that the Indian government was continuously ignoring Nepal’s call for holding talks to resolve the border issues.
According to Shrestha, Minister Gyawali shared that the talks with the southern neighbour could not happen due to India’s continued indifference although Nepal had also proposed dates for the talks.
Minister Gyawali further assured that the border dispute between Nepal and India would be resolved through talks, said Shrestha.
The committee members had also shown their concerns over the reports in the media regarding the Nepal-China boundary and encroachment of Nepali territory, said Shrestha.
Minister Gyawali clarified that the allegations were baseless.
“Nepal and China have no boundary dispute and the government of Nepal would resolve disputes if there are any through mutual consultation between the concerned authorities of the two countries,” Shrestha said quoting Minister Gyawali.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affair said that the boundary markers Nos. 37 and 38 reported as missing in the media had never been erected as agreed between the two countries owing to natural conditions.
In today’s meeting, the Standing Committee members shared that issuing Nepal’s new political and administrative map showing Limpiyadhura, Lipulek and Kalapani areas in Nepal was a milestone in the country’s history.
They Standing Committee members asked the government to resolve the dispute through the diplomatic channels and take this milestone to a logical conclusion.
During the meeting, 18 Standing Committee members, including Lila Mani Pokharel, Matrika Yadav, Dev Gurung, Shanker Pokharel, Bedu Ram Bhusal, Chhabilal Biswokarma, Raghubir Mahseth, Amrit Bohora, Pampha Bhushal, Astha Lakshmi Shakya, Bhim Rawal, Mukunda Neupane, Bhim Acharya, Ganesh Sah and Keshav Badal had raised the issues of Nepal’s border dispute with India and China.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister and party chair KP Sharma Oli did not attend the meeting today.
Shrestha said General Secretary Bishnu Paudel informed the meeting that PM Oli was unable to attend the meeting because he got some important tasks and said could join the meeting any time.
The meeting would continue on Saturday, said Shrestha, adding that other agendas would be discussed in the meeting.
Prior to this, the Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday had endorsed seven agendas to be discussed in the meeting of the powerful party committee.

Prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19, Nepal’s border issues and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact among other contemporary issues have been set as agendas of discussion in the meeting held after a long interval.
The Standing Committee meeting was expected to seek solution to existing issues by reviewing the government’s works, assessment of the party works and the remaining tasks of party unification.
Similarly, the committee meeting will also discuss the bill related to the citizenship and allowance of the federal parliamentarians.
The earlier meeting has also set the incident of west-Rukum in which six youth lost their lives, as its agenda.
On Wednesday, both chairmen, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, had addressed the meeting.