Push for Establishing Nepali Consular Office in Dallas, Texas

An initiative has commenced to establish a consular office in Dallas, Texas, aimed at serving the dense population of the Nepali diaspora in the region. Various organizations active in Texas have been requesting the Nepal government to address this need.

The Nepali society and diaspora community in Texas, along with the Nepali Public Liaison Committee close to the Nepali Congress and the Diaspora Nepali Forum close to the CPN (UML), have reiterated their appeal to the Nepal government. They highlight the inconvenience posed by the distance to the Nepali embassy from Texas.

Bijay Bhusal, Secretary General of the Nepali Society of Texas, noted that while the Nepali Embassy in Washington occasionally conducts consular service camps, there is a consensus among the expatriate Nepali community for the establishment of a permanent consular office in Dallas. Bhusal pointed out that the current setup is inadequate due to time constraints and the high demand for services.

According to Bhusal, a consular office in Dallas would directly benefit the Nepali community living in 15 states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. He expressed frustration that despite the Nepali Society of Texas advocating for this cause for two years, the demands of Nepali migrants have not been addressed due to frequent changes in the Nepal government.

Bhusal also informed that after the new government was formed in Nepal, he submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, and Foreign Secretary Seva Lamsal in mid-July, on behalf of the expatriate Nepali community in Texas, advocating for the establishment of a consular office.

Similarly, the Nepali Public Liaison Committee Texas, close to the Nepali Congress, and Pravasi Nepali Manch Texas, affiliated with the CPN (UML), have taken both political and administrative initiatives to push for the establishment of the consular office. The collective efforts of these groups underscore the urgent need for a consular presence in Dallas to better serve the Nepali diaspora in the region.