Nepal PM KP Oli coming with a large wishlist, to seek assistance on hydropower and road projects

NEW DELHI: Nepal will present a wide-ranging wishlist to India seeking support for infrastructure, hydel power and transmission lines among other development projects during Prime Minister KP Oli's visit from February 19-24 in what could reduce months of bitterness following the new constitution enacted by the Himalayan state. On his maiden visit abroad since taking charge, Oli who is no stranger to India, will seek Modi government's support on various projects, people familiar with the matter said.

Arriving in the backdrop of constitutional amendments to meet some of the demands of agitating Madheshis, Oli would seek conclusion of Delhi's support for two pending hydro-power projects of a total of 750 mw capacity, people within the Nepal government said. The two projects are worth $1billion.

Besides promising $2 billion support during Modi's visit to Nepal in August 2014, Delhi announced another $1 billion in assistance at the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction following the April 2015 earthquake. Out of the $1billion, $250 million is aid and the rest $750 million is soft loan to carry out various post-quake reconstruction work.

Poudel's visit was aimed at identifying projects under the Indian assistance plan. Oli's wishlist also includes completion of the India-assisted Hulaki Road (postal road) project in Terai area inside five years; laying of cross-border power transmission lines and developing a state-of-theart hospital in Kathmandu. Both countries recently installed 400 kv power transmission lines and have also proposed to build six power corridors at various border points.

The Nepalese PM might also seek Indian assistance to build one national institute of technology, eight technical schools and an ayurveda university, people in the know said.