New Delhi: Nepal's KP Sharma Oli government has sparked controversy by deciding to print a new currency note, which could become an irritant in its relations with India over territorial issues. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal's central bank, has decided to release a new Rs 100 note displaying the country's redrawn political map. Nepal's council of ministers authorised a design revision for the note that includes the three strategically vital areas of Limpiyadhura, Lipulek, and Kalapani as part of Nepal.The award to print the currency has been offered to a Chinese company. The China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation has been awarded the contract after a competitive global tender process, according to Nepal's English daily Republica. The NRB has requested the company to design, print, supply, and deliver 300 million Rs 100 notes, with an estimated printing cost of about $8.99 million, reported the daily. India maintains Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura --- in Western Nepal along the border --- belong to it. Sources told ET that Oli relies heavily on the nationalism plank and the decision by the Nepal government is an attempt to play the nationalism card. The new political map was updated through a process on June 18, 2020 under the then Oli government by incorporating Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura by amending its constitution, something that India already termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal. It may be recalled that the ties between India and Nepal came under severe strain after Kathmandu published the new political map in 2020 showing three Indian territories -- Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh -- as part of Nepal. India had reacted sharply, calling it a "unilateral act" and cautioned Kathmandu that such "artificial enlargement" of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar once referring to Nepal's unilateral action of 2020, said, "Our position is very clear. With Nepal, we are discussing our border matters through an established forum. In the middle of this, they have taken some unilateral steps on their part...But by doing something on their part, they are not going to change the situation or the ground reality between us."Nepal shares a border of over 1,751 km with five Indian states - Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.