Open House service for Indian nationals in Nepal

The Indian embassy in Kathmandu is going to start an open house service on a monthly basis in order to listen to grievances of Indian nationals living in Nepal.

India's Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae will start the first session of the open house March 28, according to a statement issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu Thursday.

It said that in order to make its services transparent and more accessible to Indian nationals residing in Nepal, the embassy in Kathmandu would hold an open house every last Friday of the month starting from March 28, 2014, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the consular wing of the embassy at Lainchaur area of the Nepali capital.

It is estimated that more than half a million Indian nationals are living across Nepal engaged in various fields like business, education, healthcare and tourism.

Though Indian nationals enjoy visa free stay in Nepal, can buy property without any hindrance and enjoy other regular facilities like Nepali citizens, there are a few cases of Indian nationals being harassed or being targetted by political or non-political biasness.

Article 6 of the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty between Nepal and India states that Government undertakes, in a token of neighbourly friendship, to give to the nationals of the other, in its territory, national treatment with regard to participation in industrial and economic development and grant concessions and contracts relating to such development.

The 1950 treaty is considered as the bedrock of Nepal-India relations in modern history.

During the open house, Ambassador Rae will be available for meeting members of the Indian community without appointment. They will be free to raise any issue of concern to them with the ambassador, the embassy statement said.