Nepal to Power India: Historic Agreement Sealed for Exporting 10,000 MW of Electricity

New Delhi, Jan 5 (KNN) The formalization of the long-term power trade agreement occurred during the visit of India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to the Nepali capital on January 4. The pact was officially signed by Gopal Sigdel, Nepal's secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, and Pankaj Agarwal, the Indian power secretary.

In his initial overseas trip during his third term as Nepal's prime minister in June, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disclosed the commencement of negotiations for New Delhi to import 10,000 MW of electricity over ten years.

The agreement, one of five signed during the visit, also involved the inauguration of three cross-border power transmission lines.

The signing ceremony was attended by Jaishankar, his Nepali counterpart N.P. Saud, and other officials. Besides the power trade pact, the agreements covered high-impact community development projects, cooperation in renewable energy, the launch of a Nepali space satellite, and the transfer of earthquake relief supplies.

However, the power trade deal has sparked concerns among Nepali civil society activists, who argue that decisions impacting Nepal's hydroelectricity and water resources should involve wider national discussions and parliamentary oversight.

The activists criticize the government for signing agreements with India in a secretive manner, raising questions about Nepal's independence and sovereignty.

While India's community development projects' funding cap was increased to NPR 20 crore, activists express worry about the impact on Nepal's political sphere.

It remains unclear whether contentious issues such as boundary disputes and treaty revisions were raised during the meetings between the Indian and Nepali officials.

(KNN Bureau)