Kathmandu:
Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal’s central bank, has awarded a contract to a Chinese company to print new Rs 100 notes featuring a revised political map of the country.
Nepal’s Council of Ministers approved the change in the design of the 100 rupee note, which includes the three main regions of Lempiyadhura, Lipuk and Kalapani as part of Nepal.
The new political map was updated through a process on 18 June 2020, which amended its constitution to include Lipulekh, Kalapani and Lumpiyadhura, which India had already deemed “unacceptable” and Nepal’s territorial boundaries. had termed it an “artificial extension” of the claims.
India retains Lipulekh, Kalapani and Lumpiyadhura — along the border in western Nepal — as its own.
According to the English daily Republica, the contract was awarded to China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation following a competitive global tender process.
The NRB has requested the company to design, print, supply and deliver 300 million Rs 100 notes, at a printing cost of around USD 8.99 million, the daily reported.
However, Nepal Rastra Bank spokesperson was not available when contacted for comment.
Relations between India and Nepal came under severe strain when Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020 that showed three Indian territories – Lumpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh – as part of Nepal.
India reacted strongly, calling it a “unilateral act” and warned Kathmandu that such “artificial expansion” of territorial claims would not be acceptable to it.
Nepal shares more than 1,850 km of border with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)