‘Reopen immigration centres for foreigners on Indo-Nepal border’

Siliguri: Travel trade associations have demanded the reopening of immigration centres at Kakarvita and Panitanki for foreigners. These centres on the Indo-Nepal border in Darjeeling, have been shut since Covid-19 in March 2020. They are also demanding that an immigration centre be opened up at Pashupati Bazar in Nepal bordering Simana in West Bengal.

Eastern Himalayan Travel and Tour Operators Association (EHTTOA) has submitted a memorandum to Raju Bista, the MP of Darjeeling, regarding this demand. Bista has assured that he would take up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

“The existing immigration centres of Kakarvita and Panitanki have been closed to foreigners from 2020 during the Covid period. Due to this, India and Nepal are facing huge losses. The number of foreign tourists has also decreased in this region owing to the ripple effect. We want the Central government to reopen the immigration centres and also set up an outlet at Pashupati. It will help in boosting tourism,” said Sandipan Ghosh, secretary of EHTTOA.

Before the pandemic, around 6,000 foreign tourists used to visit North Bengal region in a month and had crossed the Indo-Nepal border through Kakarvita immigration check post. The foreign tourists used to come to this region with a tour plan to visit different areas of India and Nepal. Owing to the closure of the immigration centre, maximum number of foreign tourists is avoiding this area as they do not have easy and direct access through Kakarvita. Owing to this, both the countries are facing losses.

The General Manager of Nepal Tourism Board, Surya Thapalia said: “Due to the closure, no foreign tourists can visit India from Nepal through the Indo-Nepal border. This is why the number of foreign tourists is decreasing. We want the problem to be solved at the earliest.”

Meanwhile, EHTTOA will organise the 7th edition of Bengal Travel Mart in Siliguri from September 9 to September. People involved with the tourism industry from Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India will participate.

The aim of the event is to develop cross-border tourism. On Monday, the brochure of the event was released in Siliguri. The first Bengal Travel mart was held in 2016. According to EHTTOA a total of Rs 2,700 crore had been generated from the last six years of BTM.