KATHMANDU, Mar 2: Nepal has asked India for liberal trade transit terms along a new road across its southern neighbour to Bangladesh, officials said today, reports Reuter.

Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral agreed last year to let landlocked Nepal use a 71-km (44-mile) stretch of its territory as a new transit route to reach ports in Bangladesh.

The route links Kakarvitta in eastern Nepal with Bangla-bandh in Bangladesh through a narrow strip of land in India's northeast.

It was formally opened in September, 1997 and 25 containerised trucks are allowed to cross at a time to enter Bangladesh every Saturday and Sunday under Indian escorts.

The arrangement, made on a trial basis, is subject to review by both sides after six months, which ended last Saturday.

"We have requested India to

allow all sorts of carriers, including open trucks, to transit through India," Commerce Secretary Mohan Dev Pant told Reuters.

Nepal also wants the route to be opened for its use on all weekdays.

Pant said a response from New Delhi had been delayed because of India's elections, which ended on Sunday in all but six constituencies.

Nepali businessmen said the facility allowing movement of trucks only on weekends made it expansive for hauliers because returning trucks are forced to wait several days.

Nepal depends on India for transit facilities and uses the east Indian port of Calcutta for its third-country trade. The new route is described as an alternative to Calcutta Port, which has become congested, causing shipping delays and raising costs.