4,000 Nepalese visit Banbasa daily, Roadways revenue up

BD Kasniyal

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Pithoragarh, July 31

The Tanakpur depot of the Uttarakhand Roadways is registering an increased sale of Rs 2 lakh these days as a large number of Nepalese are coming to the border town of Banbasa to reach the apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as the apple season begins.

“We used to get a sale of Rs 11 lakh from our 52 buses on ordinary days while now we are getting Rs 13 to 14 lakh per day these days as a large number of Nepalese are coming to the Banbasa roadways station to catch buses to Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh,” said Pawan Mahra, Assistant Regional Manager of the roadways.

He said the transport agency had called for more buses from other depots to meet the rush of passengers.

RP Tamta, immigration check post officer at Banbasa border, said every year an average of 8 lakh Nepalese come to India from Banbasa border in search of livelihood.

An average of 4,000 Nepalese are coming to India from the Banbasa route these days.

“These Nepalese labourers are coming from the districts of Baitari, Bazang, Rolpa, Acham, Kanchanpur and Darchula districts of western Nepal,” Tamta added.