Kathmandu: Nepal is keen to sign a 25-year agreement with India on selling its surplus power to the neighbouring country during PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda’s expected visit to New Delhi.
Though the official date of Prachanda’s visit to India is yet to be announced, the Kathmandu Post newspaper, quoting Nepali officials, reported that the PM 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.
Dinesh Ghimire, secretary at the ministry, said 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 PM’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.
Currently, Nepal is allowed to sell 452. 6 MW of electricity generated by 10 hydropower projects in the Indian power markets.