Nepal awards contract to print bank notes to Chinese company

Kathmandu, Oct 30 (PTI) The Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal, has awarded to a Chinese company the contract to print new 100-rupee notes featuring the revised political map of the country.
     Nepal’s Council of Ministers approved the design change for the 100-rupee note, which incorporates the three strategically important areas of Limpiyadhura, Lipulek, and Kalapani as part of Nepal.
     The new political map was updated through a process on June 18, 2020 by incorporating Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura by amending its constitution, something that India already termed as “untenable” the “artificial enlargement” of the territorial claims by Nepal.
     India maintains Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura --- in Western Nepal along the border --- belongs to it.
     The China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation has been awarded the contract after a competitive global tender process, according to English daily Republica.
     The NRB has requested the company to design, print, supply, and deliver 300 million 100-rupee notes, with an estimated printing cost of about USD 8.99 million, reported the daily.
     However, Nepal Rastra Bank’s spokesperson was not available when contacted for a comment.
     The ties between India and Nepal came under severe strain after Kathmandu published the new political map in 2020 showing three Indian territories -- Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh -- as part of Nepal.
     India reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioned Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.
Nepal shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states - Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)