Dahal claims India visit successful, keeps mum on EPG report

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has declared that his fourth India visit as the Prime Minister of Nepal was productive and instrumental in taking development works forward. He made the comment in a joint press meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the bilateral talks between the two countries in New Delhi on Thursday.

Dahal and Modi addressed the joint press meet. However, they didn’t take any questions.

Speaking in the press meet, Dahal praised India’s desire to expand and transform the age-old Nepal-India relations. Similarly, Modi said he had deep talks with his counterpart on a wide range of issues to take the special relationship between the two countries to new heights.

“I have requested Modi to resolve border issues through bilateral mechanisms,” Dahal said in the press meet.

Earlier, Modi said India would resolve all border issues with Nepal. India has been saying the same in every bilateral meeting. However, the border issues still remain unresolved.

Not only border issues, many bilateral programs and projects have not progressed for decades. The Pancheshwar project, for example, has been in a stalemate for more than two decades.

India has expressed a commitment to start the implementation of Pancheshwar within a year.

Although Dahal raised border issues in the joint press meet, he didn’t speak a word about the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG) report.

Modi said in the press meet that India will buy 10,000MW of electricity from Nepal within 10 years.

Key Agreements:

1. Two Indian companies have signed agreements to develop two hydropower projects in Nepal. While NHPC has agreed to develop the 480MW Fukot Karnali, Sutlej Jalavidyut Nigam will build the 669MW Lower Arun.
2. Nepal and India have agreed to build the New Butwal-Gorakhpur 400 kW transmission line. The Nepal Electricity Authority and Power Grid Corporation of India will jointly invest in the transmission line project. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 4.62 billion.
3. India has also agreed to build an integrated checkpost (ICP) in Chandani-Dodhara of far-western Nepal. The two ministers inaugurated Nepalgunj ICP and laid foundation stone for Bhairahawa ICP.
4. India has agreed to build Siliguri-Jhapa petroleum pipeline and expand the Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline to Chitwan.
5. Nepal and India have renewed the Nepal-India Treaty of Trade. Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies Ramesh Rijal and India’s Minister for Commerce Piyush Goyal signed the treaty.
6. The Institute of Foreign Affairs of Nepal and Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service signed an agreement for bilateral cooperation.
7. Dahal and Modi remotely inaugurated the cargo rail service between Bathana and Biratnagar ICP in eastern Nepal.
8. India has handed over Kurta-Bijapura section of the Janakpur-Jainagar Railway line to Nepal.
9. The two countries have also signed an agreement to facilitate cross-border digital payment.
10. India has said that it is positive towards giving Nepal access to its inland waterways.
11. The two Prime Ministers have also agreed to move forward with works on the Ramayana Circuit. No further details have been provided.