Kathmandu: Nepal has announced the printing of a new Rs 100 currency note featuring a map that includes the disputed territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani, a move criticized by India as an "artificial enlargement" of Nepal's territorial claims.
The decision to print the new map on the Rs 100 currency note was taken during a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda', according to government spokesperson Rekha Sharma. "The cabinet approved the redesigning of the Rs 100 banknote to include the new map, replacing the old map printed in the background of the banknote," said Sharma, who is also the Minister for Information and Communication.
In June 2020, Nepal updated its political map to include the strategically important areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura by amending its Constitution, a move that India strongly opposed, calling it a "unilateral act" and rejecting the "artificial enlargement" of Nepal's territorial claims. India maintains that Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura belong to it.
Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. During Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda's visit to India in June 2023, both India and Nepal pledged to resolve the boundary dispute in a spirit of friendship. Currently, India and Nepal have border disputes over the Kalapani-Limpiyadhura-Lipulekh trijunction between India, Nepal, and China, as well as the Susta area in the West Champaran district of Bihar.
Kalapani, administered by India as part of the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, lies along the Kailash Mansarovar route. The Kali River in the Kalapani region marks the border between India and Nepal, with discrepancies over the source of the river leading to boundary disputes. The Susta area, located on the banks of the Gandak River, is another area of contention. The Gandak River, known as the Narayani River in Nepal, merges with the Ganges near Patna in Bihar. Changes in the course of the Gandak River have fueled disputes over the Susta area.
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