By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 20 Aug: The 14th Joint Working Group meeting between India and Nepal began in Dehradun today. This is a two-day high-level dialogue on border management and infrastructure. Scheduled for today and tomorrow, the meeting is scheduled to have four rounds of discussions between officials of both countries. The Indian delegation is being led by Ministry of Home Affairs joint secretary Pausumi Basu, while the Nepalese side is headed by joint secretary Anand Kafle of Nepal’s Home Ministry.
In the opening session, deliberations focused on the border disputes, the border management issues and on strengthening the bilateral trade relations. A significant part of the agenda involves examining old records and maps related to boundary demarcation, including British-era maps maintained by the Survey of India. Officials aim to reconcile historical documents with present ground realities to arrive at clearer conclusions on disputed areas.
Delegates from both countries arrived in Dehradun last night and held an informal interaction over dinner before the formal proceedings began today. The meeting follows the coordination conference held in Lucknow on 14 August, where survey departments of both nations agreed to use modern technology for assessing land, cultivation and construction along the border. The proposed survey includes drone-based aerial imagery and ground-level data analysis, which is expected to be advanced further during the Dehradun discussions.
It may be reminded here that the India–Nepal border stretches for about 1,751 kilometres, touching several states including Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttarakhand, the districts of Pithoragarh, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar share boundaries with Nepal, where traditional movement and trade have long existed. Officials stressed that while resolving disputes and strengthening border security, care must be taken to ensure that local trade and cross-border movement are not adversely affected.
The ongoing meeting in Dehradun is being seen as crucial in balancing security concerns with the socio-economic realities of border communities, while also reinforcing the commitment of both countries to manage their shared boundary in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect.
