Overview
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a No Objection Certificate as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed Uttarakhand’s chief secretary, noting approvals from the Home and Commerce ministries.
- Pithoragarh authorities have begun operational planning for Gunji’s trade mart with permit issuance, customs processing, designated banks for currency exchange, telecom links, security deployment, medical support and transit camps, with contacts to be shared with Chinese counterparts.
- The trading season is planned for June to September with a possible weather-based extension, and officials expect higher participation due to improved road access to the high-altitude pass.
- Local traders welcomed the move, with the Simant Vyapar Sangathan saying the reopening will allow retrieval of goods left in Tibet’s Taklakot warehouses since the 2019 shutdown.
- The step carries diplomatic sensitivity because Nepal disputes Lipulekh and adjacent areas, a contention that intensified after India opened a motorable road to the pass in 2020.