Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj steps in as PM Modi to give Nepal meet a miss

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi will not attend the June 25 international donors’ meet on reconstruction of quake-hit Nepal as it coincides with a conclave in Delhi to announce the ‘ Smart Cities Mission’, according to a senior official.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has been deputed to stand in for Modi and pledge New Delhi’s strong support at the Kathmandu meet, the official told ET. Even as Nepal tried hard to host Modi, for the third time in one year, the PM decided to continue with his engagement to launch three major new initiatives ‘Smart Cities Mission’, ‘Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation’ and the ‘Housing for All’ initiative, officials said.