Nepal, India ready agenda for energy ministers’ meet
Nepal and India exchanged on Friday agenda for the upcoming first-ever Nepal-India energy minister-level talks. New Delhi is hosting the meeting on February 15, the highest mechanism in a tier-three structure of joint secretary, secretary and minister levels to look into water resource issues.
Nepal has requested India to give a final touch to a long pending Power Development Agreement (PDA), construction of 400KV cross-border transmission corridor to be built between Dhalkebar and Muzaffarpur and importing additional 200MW electricity from India.
“We have already forwarded a draft copy of the PDA to the Indian side. We are waiting for their response,” said a senior government official. “We need a PDA with India as many Indian investors are vying for developing projects here. In the absence of such an agreement, it is impossible to trade power bilaterally.”
In its agenda, the Indian side has proposed the implementation of the Pancheshwar Multi Purpose Project, a part of Nepal-India Mahakali Treaty, and preparing a feasibility study for the Sapta Koshi Multi Purpose Project cum Sun Koshi Diversion scheme. India has proposed talks also on inundation on its side.
Officials at the Energy Ministry have asked Minister Post Bahadur Bogati to seek a political mandate on how to go ahead with the Pancheshwar Multi Purpose Project, PDA with India and India’s proposal to build the 200MW Naumure as a gesture of friendship.
Energy Minister Bogati is leading the Nepali delegation to the meeting.
“He [Bogati] is likely to meet Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Saturday to solicit his and the Maoist party’s view on these pertinent issues before preparing
an official stance,” the official said. Nepal’s prime agenda is to import 200MW power from India to address the huge demand-supply imbalance.
Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayanta Prasad on Friday said an agreement scheduled to be
had by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Power Grid Corporation of India by next week would ease power export to Nepal.
Posted on: 2012-02-11 09:05
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