Nepal is building permanent quarters and barracks within its territory for soldiers deployed near Kalapani in Uttarakhand district in an unprecedented move after the Himalayan nation claimed the area as its own in a map.

The constructions are being made at Changru, 13km from Kalapani. Earlier this year, soldiers were deployed at Changru after Nepal’s parliament ratified a map and coat of arms that included Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura within its territory. India says all three areas are part of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district.

Nepal home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on Friday laid the foundation stone for the project at Changru. The barracks will house personnel of Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF), which performs the dual role of military and law enforcement.

“Thapa said during an interaction with villagers of Sitapul near Changru that it was a great opportunity for Nepali youths to join the APF, which has plans for expansion,” a source in the Uttarakhand government said.

APF spokesperson Raju Aryal was quoted by the Nepali media as saying: “We are going to construct barracks in Changru to keep a watch on the India-Nepal border.”

The Uttarakhand government source said: “There had never been any security personnel in this area to monitor civilian activities near the border. The people of the two countries used to freely cross the border. Now the APF doesn’t allow our citizens to enter their land. We too are preventing the entry of Nepali people.”