KATHMANDU- Nepal and India are all set to sign an agreement on power trade on Thursday. Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, has confirmed that the previous agreement on Nepal’s export of 10,000 mw electricity to India in 10 years is being materialized with the signing of agreement.
Ministry Spokesperson and Joint Secretary Navin Raj Singh informed that the bilateral agreement would be signed by Ministry Secretary Gopal Sigdel and his Indian counterpart Pankaj Agrawal amidst a programme on Thursday. Meanwhile, the officials have informed that three important transmission lines are being inaugurated. An agreement was reached in this connection in course of the India visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ last May.
On the occasion, PM Dahal’s Indian counterpart Narendra Modi had announced that India was going to import electricity produced in Nepal in a long-term manner. Earlier, the Cabinet of India had approved the agreement regarding power import. Secretaries of both countries are signing the memorandum of understanding during Nepal visit of Minister of External Affairs of India S Jaishankar. It will pave way for different government and private companies to deal with electricity by signing power purchase agreement in a short, mid and long-term manners.
In the wake of Indian External Affairs Minister’s visit to Nepal, a joint secretary (Energy Ministry) level meeting between Nepal and India decided to enhance the capacity of Dhalkebar-Mujaffapur 400-KV interstate transmission line. The meeting further discussed to speed up construction of new Butwal-Gorakhpur interstate transmission line, to construct two more interstate transmission line and to intensify mega projects.