According to field reporting by The Kathmandu Post, Nepali migrant workers returning home from Indian cities for Dashain encountered arbitrary transit fares and transit bottlenecks at major border checkpoints in Banke, Kailali, and Kanchanpur.
Interviews conducted with seasonal laborers crossing through Jamunaha in Banke, Gauriphanta/Trinagar in Kailali, and Gaddachauki in Kanchanpur describe steep fare inflation by local auto-rickshaw operators on short-distance border routes during the week leading up to October 12, 2026 (Asoj 21–26, 2083).
1. Crossing-by-Crossing Influx & Documented Difficulties
| Border Checkpoint | Location | Reported Influx (Asoj 21–26, 2083) | Documented Travel Difficulties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamunaha | Banke (Lumbini) | Over 50,000 in 5 days (approx. 10,000/day) | Heavy crowding from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., soliciting by ticket brokers and hotel middlemen. |
| Trinagar / Gauriphanta | Kailali (Sudurpaschim) | 4,000+ per day | Prescribed fares to Dhangadhi are NPR 30 to Traffic Chowk and NPR 40 to bus park; operators demanded up to INR 800 (approx. NPR 1,280). |
| Gaddachauki | Kanchanpur (Sudurpaschim) | Steady festival influx | Overcharging up to NPR 1,400 under the pretext of extra luggage; passengers dropped mid-route before reaching bus counters. |
2. Reported Passenger Accounts
Jamunaha (Nepalgunj, Banke): According to Inspector Rajan Prasad Bhattarai of the Jamunaha Area Police Office quoted by The Kathmandu Post, more than 50,000 Nepalis entered through Jamunaha over a five-day period during the week leading up to October 12, 2026.
Trinagar (Dhangadhi, Kailali): Arriving returnees told reporters that auto-rickshaws demanded inflated fares. In one documented account, Aditya Khadka, returning from Tamil Nadu, filed a police complaint after an operator demanded INR 800 for the ride to Dhangadhi bus park.
3. Reported Official Response
Local police reported taking action in reported cases. In Kailali, police stated they intervened to recover excess payments and return them to affected passengers. In Kanchanpur, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kabindra Singh Bohara stated that passenger assistance desks and plainclothes officers were deployed at Gaddachauki.
Source & Attribution:
Field reporting by The Kathmandu Post (correspondents Bhawani Bhatta, Arjun Shah, and Rupa Gahatraj), October 12, 2026.
