The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a written response from the government on a plea for an interim order against installation of new border pillars in Parsa district, stating that the move has encroached upon the Nepali territory.

The petitioner had sought an SC order to stop the installation of new border pillars but the court refused it. Responding to a writ filed by Advocate Yagya Mani Neupane, the apex court ordered the government to submit all details within 15 days relating to encroachment of the international border with India. The government has also been ordered to state in writing why border pillars are being installed in the Nepali land.

The petitioner has made the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Survey Department as defendants. According to officials, the next round of hearing will take place after the government submits all the details.

Advocate Neupane argues that the Nepali land has been encroached upon while setting up new border pillars in the Chhapkaiya area of Birgunj Metropolitan City-1 along Sirsiya River.

The government has already asked the Indian side to allow Nepalis to use and cultivate around 50 bigha land in Parsa district that fell into the Indian Territory until the row over cross-border holding is settled between the two countries.

Nepal and India had agreed to form a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) in 1980 to prepare a boundary map, to install boundary pillars that had gone missing or were damaged, to maintain existing ones and to resolve border disputes.

Several land owners in Chhapkaiya area in Birgunj came to know about their land slipping into the Indian side while the boundary pillars were being installed last week. The JTC was mandated to prepare strip maps guided by the GPS, find data on encroachment of the no-man’s land, and fix boundary pillars maintaining the line of sight.

The international boundary between Nepal and India was demarcated in 1816 during the Treaty of Sugauli and later in 1860 and 1875.