Kathmandu: India has assured fuel-crisis hit Nepal of increased supplies of essential goods, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa said on Monday after holding talks with India's top leadership in New Delhi. Thapa, who is also the Foreign Minister, returned home on Monday after a three-day visit during which he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Thapa told reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport that the Indian leaders promised that fuel trucks lined up at a border crossing would be rerouted and more fuel would be supplied through other border points where there are no protests, to ease the supply of fuel to Nepal.
"The Indian leaders have assured me that there will be no obstructions of the flow of trucks to Nepal from the points that are not blocked, fuel supply will be improved, and trucks that were stuck would be rerouted," Thapa said.
Nepal is facing acute shortage of essential goods, including petroleum products and cooking gas, due to the blockade of a key trading point with India by Indian-origin Madhesi groups which are against splitting the country into seven provinces after the promulgation of the new Constitution.
Thapa is also the president of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, a pro-Hindu party which has close ties with India's ruling party BJP. Nepal has been accusing India for blocking supplies in the pretext of protests by Madhesi protesters in southern Nepal.
India has denied the charge saying supplies were halted due to the security situation in Nepal amid ongoing protests. India, has not yet welcomed the promulgation of the new Constitution in Nepal, though Prime Minister Modi had extended congratulation to newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal K P Sharma Oli, hours after he was elevated to the top post.
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