More than 50,000 Nepalis returned via Jamunaha in five days — Kathmandu Post
The flow of Nepali labor migrants returning home for the Dashain festival has increased at Nepal’s border with India. Around 10,000 people arrive in Nepal each day through the Jamunaha crossing point in Nepalgunj, and more than 50,000 Nepalis crossed the border over the previous five days, Kathmandu Post reports.
Jamunaha Area Police Office chief Rajan Prasad Bhattarai said that the number of people returning is rising as Dashain approaches. The crossing serves passengers travelling to Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces. Many migrants spend between three and five days travelling from India by buses and trains.
Complaints about inflated fares
Passengers complain that autorickshaw drivers may charge inflated prices. At the Gaddachauki crossing, according to the source, some drivers also drop people off halfway to their destination. Near the Trinagar customs point close to the Gauriphanta crossing in Kailali district, the established fare to Traffic Chowk square in Dhangadhi is 30 rupees and to the bus station 40 rupees. At the same time, according to police, some drivers demand from 500 to 1,400 rupees.
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Aditya Khadka, who returned from Tamil Nadu state, said that a driver demanded 800 Indian rupees for a trip from Trinagar to Dhangadhi bus station. After the passenger filed a complaint, traffic police detained the driver. A few days earlier, Kamala Pariyar from Achham district was also charged 800 Indian rupees for the same route; police returned the money to him.
Passenger assistance points
Police and local authorities opened a passenger assistance point near Jamunaha to prevent fraud and robbery and provide people with information, coordination and support. Monitoring has also been strengthened in Trinagar: according to Santosh Singh, head of the local police post, more than 4,000 passengers arrive from India through Gauriphanta every day.
Similar complaints have been recorded at the Gaddachauki crossing in Kanchanpur district. The set fare for a trip to Mahendranagar is 50 rupees, but some drivers, according to passengers, demand two to three times more, citing the presence of luggage. Assistance points have been opened at the border and at Mahendranagar bus station.
