PM Deuba’s India visit: These are the seven main agendas

KATHMANDU, March 31: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to visit India on April 1.

Deuba will be staying in India for three days.

According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, PM Deuba is scheduled to visit India on the invitation of his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

PM Deuba will be accompanied by high level diplomats and government officials including his spouse Arju Rana and Foreign Minister, Dr Narayan Khadka.

After being elected as a Prime Minister of the country, Deuba is paying a visit to a foreign country for the first time.

PM Deuba is scheduled to call on his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, vice-president of India along with Indian Foreign Minister and Chief of the Security Agency of India.

These are the seven main agendas:

1) Border disputes

The border disputes, Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiadhura, between India and Nepal are expected to be the main agenda during PM Deuba’s visit. A high-level discussion will be held in this regard.

2) EPG

Report of the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India relation is also to be discussed during PM Deuba’s visit. 

EPG was formed in 2016 with the aim of strengthening the bilateral ties between India and Nepal and reviewing treaties and agreements. The group had prepared a report in 2018 with various recommendations and suggestions to redefine the bilateral ties between two countries but the report has been ignored as Indian PM Modi is not willing to receive it.

3) India-Nepal Railservice

Prime Minister Deuba will also be discussing the inauguration of Janakpur-Jaynagar Railway during his stay in India. PM Deuba and his Indian counterpart Modi are scheduled to jointly inaugurate the India-Nepal Railway.

4) Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project

Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP) is a bi-national hydropower project to be developed in the Mahakali River bordering Nepal and India. Development of PMP, is a mutual interest project between two countries, and is covered under the integrated Mahakali Treaty signed between Nepal and India according to which, equal sizes of underground power house i.e. of 3240MV will be constructed on each side of Mahakali river in India and Nepal. Moreover, the PMP also offers the benefit of regulated water for irrigation to a vast area of agricultural land both in Nepal and India along with the benefit of flood control downstream.

However, the hydropower project with a capacity of 6,400 megawatt has failed to finalize its DPR despite extension of the deadline time and again.

5) Postal Highway 

Postal Highway, a national pride project, is yet to miss its deadline of fiscal year 2079/80 BS. The project was earlier estimated to be completed by fiscal year 2074/75 BS. 

6) Upper Karnali Hydropower Project

GMR group of India was selected for the construction of the project through a global tender in 2008. However, a little progress has been made so far and the project is in limbo these days.  

Of the 900 MW electricity generated from the hydropower, most of the generated power is to be exported to both Bangladesh (about 500 MW) and India (another 292 MW), via a 400 kV double circuit transmission line, with the only remaining 108 MW of total power dedicated to local consumption.

7) Political and Diplomatic agendas

Besides, PM Deuba’s visit will be focused on strengthening political and diplomatic ties between India and Nepal. 

After Nepal published a new political map including the disputed territories of Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiadhura, the bilateral ties between the two countries have been affected to some extent. So far, both the countries have failed to hold high-level discussions and dialogue to address the issue.