Nepal seeks to sign 25-year electricity deal with India during PM Prachanda's visit, says report
The Hindu
Though the official date of Nepal PM Prachanda’s visit to India is yet to be announced, reports say the Prime Minister is likely to travel to New Delhi after the second week of April.
Nepal is keen to sign a 25-year agreement with India on selling its surplus power to the neighbouring country during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's expected visit to New Delhi.
Though the official date of Mr. Prachanda's visit to India is yet to be announced, the Kathmandu Post newspaper, quoting Nepali officials, reported on April 2 that the Prime Minister is likely to travel to New Delhi after the second week of April.
However, the two sides have yet to announce the dates, it said.
“We are preparing a proposal for the Indian side on the 25-year agreement. But a lot also depends on whether the Indian side agrees to include our proposal in the agenda,” the report quoted a senior official at the Energy Ministry as saying.
Dinesh Ghimire, secretary at the ministry, said the issue of the long-term inter-governmental agreement was under discussion at the ministry but was yet to be forwarded to Nepal’s Foreign Ministry to make it an agenda item ahead of the Prime Minister’s trip.
He said such an agreement can be signed only if the Indian side gives its nod at the bureaucratic level before Prachanda reaches New Delhi, the report said.
Nepal proposed such a deal during the 10th secretary-level meeting of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) on Energy Cooperation in India in late February.
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