Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba to visit India for 3 days from April 1
Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is set to embark on a three-day official visit to India starting from April 1.
India-Nepal Relations
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PM Modi hails Indo-Nepal relations, unveils key projects
New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): With aims to take India-Nepal relations to new heights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday launched multiple projects to boost connectivity between the two countries.Both PMs first inaugurated a 35-km long cross-border rail link from Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal and also a passenger train service built under India’s Grant Assistance in a joint address at Hyderabad House. Deuba is on a three-day India visit.
“PM Deuba and I also agreed to give priority to trade and cross-border connectivity initiatives in all respects. The beginning of the Jayanagar-Kurtha rail line is part of this initiative. Such schemes will make a great contribution to the smooth, hassle-free exchange of people between the two countries,” said PM Modi.
They also jointly inaugurated “Solu Corridor 132 KV Power Transmission Line and Substation” in Nepal built under the Government of India’s Line of Credit.
“We also agreed on the subject of greater participation by Indian companies in Nepal’s hydropower development plans. It is a matter of happiness that Nepal is exporting its surplus power to India. It will contribute well to the economic progress of Nepal,” added PM Modi.
Along with the above-mentioned projects, documents and MoUs were signed and exchanged between India and Nepal in the presence of PM Modi and Nepal’s PM Deuba.
“PM Deuba is an old friend of India. As the PM, this is his fifth visit to India. He has played an important role in developing India-Nepal relations. The friendship between India and Nepal, relations between our people is an example that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world. Our civilization, culture, and the threads of our exchange have been linked since ancient times. We have been companions of each other’s happiness and sorrow since time immemorial,” said PM Modi.
Both leaders also jointly launched RuPay in Nepal.
“The introduction of RuPay card in Nepal will add a new chapter to our financial connectivity. Other projects like Nepal Police Academy, Integrated Check Post in Nepalganj, Ramayana Circuit etc. will also bring the two countries closer,” said PM Modi.
Meanwhile, Nepal also became a member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
“I am very happy that Nepal has become a member of the International Solar Alliance. This will promote sustainable, affordable and clean energy in our region,” said PM Modi.
Talking about the “Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP)” to be developed in Mahakali River bordering Nepal and India, PM Modi said, “Our joint vision statement on power cooperation will prove to be a blueprint for future cooperation. We emphasized the importance of moving ahead at a fast pace in the Pancheshwar project. This project will prove to be a game-changer for the development of this region.”
He also stated that the two countries discussed various aspects of cooperation, besides reviewing the progress of projects and also discussed the blueprint of the future. Both of us agree that we must reap the benefits of the opportunities for cooperation in the power sector, he added.
PM Modi further reiterated India’s firm support in Nepal’s journey of peace, prosperity and development. (ANI)
PM Modi hails Indo-Nepal relations, unveils key projects
New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): With aims to take India-Nepal relations to new heights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday launched multiple projects to boost connectivity between the two countries. Both PMs first inaugurated a 35-km long...
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CAG asks MHA to pace up completion of much-delayed India-Nepal roads
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to increase its efforts to ensure speedy completion of India-Nepal strategic roads so that the Indo-Nepal border is effectively managed by the border guarding force and benefits accrue to the general population along the border areas.The CAG in its 23rd audit report on the Indo-Nepal Border Road Project, submitted to Parliament recently, said that under this project, the construction of the Indo-Nepal border (INB) roads of 1377 km in three states -- Bihar (564 km), Uttar Pradesh (640 km) and Uttarakhand (173 km) -- was taken up in November 2010 with the aim to construct roads of strategic importance along the Indo-Nepal border by March 2016.
The objective of this project was to provide connectivity to the Border Out Posts (BOPs) to meet the requirements of the border population and for better implementation of development initiatives in the border areas. This project was to facilitate faster mobility of the Indo-Nepal border guarding force, the 'Sashastra Seema Bal' (SSB) to dominate the sensitive border more effectively.
The audit report has brought out critical lacunae in the project conceptualisation stage such as planning of road alignment away from the border; non-integration of the project design with the connectivity of Border Out Posts (BOPs) of the SSB with the main alignment of the border roads and the consequent non-inclusion of link roads as an integral component of the border roads project.
The government's top audit body said that the MHA was responsible for providing funds to the state governments for the construction of the roads while the state executing agencies were responsible for completing the project in its entirety such as finalisation of alignment in consultation with the SSB. However, due to the delay in getting the required clearances, the timeline of the project was extended to December 2019 which was again extended till December 31, 2022 by the High Level Empowered Committee (HLEC) set up for construction of roads on stretches free from encumbrance.
Noting the inordinate delay in the construction of the desired length of roads, despite the lapse of ten years from 2011 to 2021, the CAG said that the progress of construction in all the three states was slow. Out of the 1262.36 km of roads to be constructed along the Indo-Nepal border, only 367.48 km of roads (29 per cent) have been completed as of March 2021.
The progress of work, compared to the approved DPRs of 842.86 km was only 44 per cent. Though the process of land acquisition has progressed, matters regarding forest/wildlife clearances (Uttar Pradesh) and other clearances (Uttarakhand) are still to be resolved, the CAG said.
The audit body has recommended that the MHA may consider construction of link roads as a distinct component of the project which will significantly enhance the operational and strategic value of the border roads along the Indo-Nepal border.
It also suggested that the Union Home Ministry may set up a coordination mechanism amongst all the stakeholders to resolve the pending issues of land acquisition and forest clearance to complete the project within the extended time schedule given by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
The MHA has also been advised to strengthen its monitoring mechanism to keep a strict vigil on the utilisation of funds by the state governments while the Home Ministry may engage a third party inspection clause in the MoU to boost quality assurance and strengthen its monitoring mechanism.
Against the 1377 km of approved roads, the road length was revised to 1262.36 km and the Union Home Ministry had approved 27 DPRs for 842.86 km involving Rs 3472.25 crore (revised cost) without ensuring the earlier recommendations by the CAG on various deficiencies like road design, over estimation, provision of connectivity of the BOPs, as 81 per cent of the BOPs remained unconnected to the main alignment of the proposed border roads, the audit body observed.
The report also mentioned that in Bihar, 15 bridges were constructed as a part of the project by the state government at a cost of Rs 146.06 crore by August 2016 without the revised alignment while the DPR of 419.50 km (33 per cent) length of roads in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are yet to be approved as the revised alignment and forest clearances for these stretches are yet to be obtained.
Lack of adequate preparatory work including proper alignment of roads, obtaining of forest and wildlife clearances and land acquisition in time, deficient contract management and lack of coordination between various departments had an adverse effect on completion of the INBR project, which resulted in non-achievement of the intended objectives of the INBRP, the CAG commented.
CAG asks MHA to pace up completion of much-delayed India-Nepal roads
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has asked the MHA to increase its efforts to ensure speedy completion of India-Nepal strategic roads
Nepal invites tenders from Indian buyers for sale of 200 MW surplus electricity
Open access consumers, regulated utilities, distribution companies, and traders having a valid trading licence issued by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Government of India, are eligible to participate in this bid, said Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Manging Director...
Nepal starts exporting cement to India for the first time
The industrialists in Nepal are excited about exporting cement to India after the government provided an eight per cent subsidy for cement export in the budget.For the first time, Nepal has started exporting cement to India, with the initial consignment of 3,000 bags entering the neighbouring country through a check post bordering Uttar Pradesh.
The Palpa Cement Industries in Nawalparasi district on Friday dispatched the first consignment of cement to India for the first time in history through the Sunauli border.
The industrialists in Nepal are excited about exporting cement to India after the government provided an eight per cent subsidy for cement export in the budget.
The Nawalparasi plant has a capacity of producing 1,800 metric tonnes of clinker and 3,000 metric tonnes of cement every day, according to Jeevan Niraula, public relations manager of Palpa Industries.
Palpa, which produces Tansen brand cement under the banner of Palpa Cement Industries Limited, began exporting cement to India after completing all the government procedures, including quality standards check.
The latest development has paved the way for five other cement industries operating across Nepal to export their products to India.
According to Nepal Cement Producers' Association, the Himalayan nation has the potential of exporting cement worth NRs.150 billion.
Nepal's cement industries are facing problems due to the lack of market despite its huge potential.
Shekhar Agrawal, executive director of Palpa industries Limited, said that with the export of cement to India, Nepali products can now compete with international brands.
Keshav Bhandari, president of the Nawalparasi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the export of cement to India along with the government grant would help boost the country's economy.
Nepal starts exporting cement to India for the first time
The industrialists in Nepal are excited about exporting cement to India after the government provided an eight per cent subsidy for cement export in the budget.
India Gifts 75 Ambulances, 17 School Buses To Nepal
Kathmandu:India on Sunday gifted 75 ambulances and 17 school buses to Nepal as part of its ongoing efforts to build on the "robust and longstanding" partnership between the two countries and help the Himalayan nation bolster its infrastructure in healthcare and education sectors.
India's newly-appointed Ambassador Naveen Srivastava handed over the keys of the vehicles in the presence of Devendra Paudel, Nepal's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The gifting of 75 ambulances also marks 75 years of India's Independence, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said.
"The gifting of ambulances and school buses is part of the very robust and strong development partnership between the two countries," Mr Srivastava said.
This initiative has been one of the long-standing traditions of the Indian government under the Nepal-India Development Partnership Programme to bolster efforts of the Nepal government to strengthen its infrastructure in health and education, he added.
Mr Paudel appreciated India's various ongoing developmental projects in Nepal and said these initiatives will continue to strengthen people-to-people linkages and improve relations between the two countries.
The 75 ambulances and 17 school buses will be handed over to various governmental departments and NGOs working in healthcare and education sectors in various districts in Nepal, the Indian mission said.
In 2021, India had gifted 39 ambulances equipped with ventilators to Nepal as part of its efforts to help Kathmandu in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, in 2020, India had gifted 41 ambulances and six school buses to Nepal on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship.
The land-locked country relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.
Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.
The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations between the two countries.
India Gifts 75 Ambulances, 17 School Buses To Nepal
India on Sunday gifted 75 ambulances and 17 school buses to Nepal as part of its ongoing efforts to build on the "robust and longstanding" partnership between the two countries.
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Nepal mustn’t miss the Indian tourist bus
Indian tourists usually go on vacation with their children during the summer break. Bengali tourists generally take their annual holidays during the Durga Puja festival. In India, the tourism market has a large share of domestic tourists travelling within the country. As per recent data, Indian domestic tourists made 2,321.98 million visits in the domestic tourism market in 2019. The number of tourist visits dropped to 611 million in 2020 due to Covid-19. These figures refer to internal visits to the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttarakhand which lie close to Nepal’s border, hence they represent a tremendous potential source market at our doorstep.Each of the Indian metropolitan cities has a population of between 10 and 30 million. In 2022, the population of Delhi exceeded 32 million. Many people from various parts of India visit New Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and nearby regions. In terms of foreign travel, an increasing number of Indians travel abroad. Indian outbound in 2019 totalled 27 million. Nepal has not been able to attract India’s burgeoning middle class in greater numbers. Not that Nepal has not been trying. It has been participating in all major tourism fairs such as OTM Mumbai, TTF, and South Asia’s Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) Delhi.
In May, 20 tourism entrepreneurs led by the Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Airlines Corporation participated in SATTE held in Greater Noida, India. The Nepal Tourism Board has been showing a good presence in India in partnership with private companies. From time to time, unique promotional campaigns have been conducted in different cities of India, such as Nepal: Next Door Fun Never Before, Let’s Go to Nepal Campaign, Let’s Go to Pokhara, Nepal Gateway to Kailash, Nepal Summer Campaign, Unleash Yourself Campaign Casino Package, and Pashupatinath and Muktinath Packages.
Despite these efforts, only 200,000 to 300,000 Indian tourists come by air and 300,000 to 400,000 by road. In comparison, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Dubai, which entered the Indian market after Nepal, have already made big leaps in attracting many tourists from the Indian market. Many European countries and Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Dubai have made their presence felt through their liaison offices and public relations representatives in various states of India, providing stiff competition to Nepal. These liaison offices are in constant touch with India-based tour operators and hoteliers to make arrangements to send Indian tourists to their destinations through attractive packages in collaboration with their country’s airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agents.
Looking back at past events, it is worth mentioning that the then executive committee of the Nepal Tourism Board took the decision to open a liaison office in New Delhi in 2008. After following the entire procedure of seeking permission from the Reserve Bank of India, the Nepal Tourism Board requested the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi to do the follow-up in this process, but no reply has been received from the Indian central bank. The Nepal Tourism Board’s executive committee has, therefore, not been able to give high priority to opening a liaison office in Delhi.
At that time, the Indian government seemed to have taken the proposed liaison office as a financial transaction office. Later, the board’s executive committee also became indifferent to its justification. And even after all these years, we still haven’t been able to set up a liaison office in India. India is an important tourism source market for Nepal. The Indian market, accounting for 30 per cent of the total tourist arrivals to Nepal for many years, has now shrunk to 20 per cent. In order to maintain the old market and capture new segments within it, the Nepal tourism industry has to put together all its efforts in a planned way by dividing India into four market segments based on the population of the cities and tendency of the residents to go abroad.
Accordingly, Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi in North India; Siliguri, Kolkata, Ranchi and Patna in East India; Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad and Jaipur in West India; and Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Coimbatore in South India should be our targets of interest to carry out sales missions, road shows and publicity programmes. New possibilities have to be explored to rebrand the image of Nepal in the Indian markets; new technologies have to be disseminated, promotion of Nepali destinations should be on Indian electronic media, and various TV shows have to be promoted. For religious and spiritual tourism, we need to appeal to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the southern states to encourage their citizens to visit religious places like Pashupatinath, Muktinath, Barahakshetra and Janakpurdham in Nepal and also Kailash Manasarovar in China.
For youth-targeted adventure sports, the Nepali tourism industry needs to partner with the Nepal Tourism Board and Nepal Airlines to present various packages such as school and college educational tours, and treks to Everest base camp, Manang, Mustang, Rara and Khaptad. Nepal Rastra Bank should encourage payment by electronic transfer, Visa card and travel debit card for hotel, trekking and travel arrangements. Orientation programmes should be implemented immediately to educate the border guards and security personnel on the highways to provide a more pleasant and friendlier environment to visitors.
At the same time, the longawaited goal of opening a liaison office of the Nepal Tourism Board in New Delhi should be expedited to strengthen promotional programmes in India. The board’s Tourist Information Office and the Immigration Office must maintain a physical presence at significant entry points to facilitate the movement of tourists coming overland. India is experiencing remarkable economic growth, and more than 50 per cent of its population is below 25 years of age, and more than 65 per cent is below 35 years of age. This young generation with money and zeal tends to go out and explore the world. And Nepal as a next-door destination has so many things to offer to attract India’s unstoppable and untapped source market by land and air.
Nepal mustn't miss the Indian tourist bus
The Indian market, accounting for 30 per cent of the total tourist arrivals to Nepal for many years, has now shrunk to 20 per cent.
Nepal gives India two power projects quit by China
A formal agreement on the projects was signed this week in Kathmandu in backdrop of a decision by the prime ministers of the two countries to focus on expanding power sector partnership that includes participation of Indian power majors in the projects in Nepal.
Nepal seeks permission to export additional 111 MW electricity to India
NEA would be able to export additional power to India after getting permission from the Central Electricity Authority of India. At the moment, Nepal has been exporting 364 MW electricity to India through open competition.
www.moneycontrol.com
Nepal stalls recruitment of Gorkhas in Indian Army under Agnipath scheme
Nepal stalls recruitment of Gorkhas in Indian Army under Agnipath scheme
New Delhi had approached Kathmandu six weeks ago for cooperation and approval for the recruitment, taking place after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
indianexpress.com
Cabinet approves signing of an MoU between India and Nepal in the field of biodiversity conservation
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for signing an MoU with the Government of Nepal on biodiversity conservation, with a view to strengthen and enhance the coordination and cooperation in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change, including restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and share knowledge and best practices, between the two countries.The MoU would help in promoting cooperation between the Parties in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation and climate change, including restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and sharing knowledge and best practices.
Cabinet approves signing of an MoU between India and Nepal in the field of biodiversity conservation
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal of th
pib.gov.in
NHPC inks MoU with PTC India Limited for sale of power to be generated from upcoming West Seti & Seti River-6 Projects in Nepal
NHPC Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PTC India Limited for sale of power to be generated from upcoming West Seti & Seti River-6 Projects in Nepal, today at NHPC Corporate Office, Faridabad.
The MoU was signed by Shri A.K. Singh, CMD, NHPC and Dr. Rajib K. Mishra, CMD, PTC India Limited. On this occasion, Shri R.P. Goyal, Director (Finance) Shri Biswajit Basu, Director (Projects), Shri V.R. Shrivastava, Executive Director (SBD&C) from NHPC and Shri Harish Saran, Executive Director (Commercial & Operations), Shri Pankaj Goel, CFO and Shri Bikram Singh, EVP-Marketing from PTC India were also present.
As per the MoU, PTC shall purchase the Contracted Capacity from NHPC from date of commercial operation of above Projects for onward sale to the State Utilities/Discoms/Bulk Consumers on long term basis in India and neighboring countries. PTC shall also endeavor to sell any untied capacity on medium/short term basis or on power exchanges.
NHPC inks MoU with PTC India Limited for sale of power to be generated from upcoming West Seti & Seti River-6 Projects in Nepal
NHPC Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PTC India Limited for sale of
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Foreign secretaries of India, Nepal hold talks on bilateral cooperation
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Tuesday held talks with his visiting Nepalese counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal and took stock of the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, also covering trade, connectivity, culture and people-to-people relations.