Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal’s central banking institution, is set to introduce new currency notes that will feature an updated map incorporating disputed regions with India.
According to a report by Nepal Khabar, NRB’s joint spokesperson Dilli Ram Pokharel revealed that the process of printing the new 100-rupee notes has begun. The new notes, which will showcase Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal’s territory, are expected to be completed and issued within six months to a year.
Decision and Background
The initiative to print updated banknotes follows a decision made by Nepal’s cabinet under former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on May 3. The cabinet decided to feature the revised map on the new currency notes, affirming Nepal’s claim to the territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.
In May 2020, the government led by K P Sharma Oli unveiled a new political map that included Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura as part of Nepal. This map was formally approved by the Nepalese Parliament and replaced the previous map in all official documents, despite protests from India.
Territorial Dispute
India asserts that Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura are its rightful territories. The dispute over these areas has been a longstanding issue between the two neighboring countries.
Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 kilometers with five Indian states: Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.