Nepal Passes Constitution Amendment Bill Updating Map Incorporating 3 Indian Territories

KATHMANDU: Amid border row, Nepal’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to update the country's political and administrative map incorporating three Indian territories.

The National Assembly, or the upper house of the Nepalese parliament, with all the 57 members present voting in its favour, unanimously passed the constitution amendment bill providing for inclusion of the country's new political map in its national emblem.

After the National Assembly passes the bill, it will be submitted to the President for authentication, after which the bill will be incorporated in the Constitution.

Nepal's lower house of parliament on Saturday unanimously approved the new political map of the country. A two-thirds majority was required in the 275-member House of Representatives or the lower house to pass the bill.

India has termed as untenable the "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims by Nepal.

The ties between the two countries came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. The new road is expected to help pilgrims visiting Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet as it is around 90 kms from the Lipulekh pass. Singh had said pilgrims will now be able to complete their journey in one week instead of up to three weeks.

Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories.