Himal Lamsal
Kolkata, India, Nov 26: Nepali importers continue to face recurring challenges in Jharkhand and Bihar while transporting goods via the land routes connected to the Kolkata and Haldia ports.
Goods imported from third countries through maritime routes are shipped to Birgunj either by railway rakes or by trucks and containers. However, the overland journey through Jharkhand and Bihar has remained problematic, with transporters frequently fined for alleged excess weight or over-height containers.
Importers say they are being charged under multiple pretexts, creating additional financial and logistical burdens. Mahendra Kumar Dugad, Secretary of the Nepal Cargo Handling Agent Association in Kolkata, emphasized the urgent need to resolve these persistent issues.
Nepal’s Consul General in Kolkata, Jhakka Prasad Acharya, acknowledged receiving repeated complaints from Nepali suppliers regarding difficulties along these routes. While noting that the Consulate General’s jurisdiction is limited to West Bengal, Acharya said the office is making continuous efforts to coordinate and address the challenges faced by importers.
Nepali traders must travel nearly 800 kilometers over land to bring goods into Nepal via the Kolkata and Haldia ports. Of the total imports handled by the Kolkata Port, 60 percent are transported by railway rakes and the remaining 40 percent by trucks.
Acharya noted that it may be necessary to expand the Consulate General’s jurisdiction to include Jharkhand, Bihar, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Currently, the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi facilitates trade through the Visakhapatnam Port, which lies about 1,000 kilometers from Kolkata and roughly 2,000 kilometers from New Delhi.
A study conducted by the Consulate General in Kolkata shows that nearly 80 percent of goods entering Nepal through the Birgunj customs point come via the Kolkata Port. #nepal #india #kolkata
