On 20 February, 2016 several Memorandum of Understanding/ Agreements were signed between India and Nepal which include:
- MoU on utilization of US$ 250 million Grant component of GOI’s Assistance package for Post-earthquake reconstruction assistance : The External Affair Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister( Nepal) and DPM Mr Kamal Thapa have signed a MOU in which they have identified Four sectors, i.e. housing, health, education and cultural heritage. In housing, US$ 100 million would be utilised for construction of 50,000 houses in 14 severely earthquake affected districts. US$ 50 million each would be utilised in health, education and cultural heritage sectors in 31 earthquake affected districts of Nepal.
- MoU on strengthening of road infrastructure in the Terai area of Nepal: This MoU is signed by Ambassador of India Mr Ranjit Rae and Secretary, Ministry of Physical Transport (Nepal) Arjun Kumar Karki to enable speedy implementation of remaining work on 17 Roads in Package 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Terai Road Phase-I project, totalling 518 kms. Two roads in Package 1 totaling 87 kms have already been completed.
- MoU between Nepal Academy of Music and Drama and Sangeet Natak Academy: This MoU is signed by the Secretary, Sangeet Natak Academy, Helen Acharya and the Ambassador of Nepal, Deep Kumar Upadhyay to enhance relations between India and Nepal in the field of performing arts through exchanges of experts, exponents, dancers, scholars and intellectuals.
- Letters of Exchange on Transit Routes: (i) Transit between Nepal and Bangladesh through Kakarbitta-Banglabandh corridor would result in simplification of modalities for traffic of goods between Nepal and Bangladesh while transiting through India, through the Kakarbhitta (Nepal) and Banglabandha (Bangladesh) corridor. (ii) Operationalization of Vishakhapatnam Port would provide for transit facilities for Nepal through the Vishakhapatnam port.
- Letters of Exchange on Rail Transport: (i) This Exchange of Letters would allow for rail transport to and from Vishakhapatnam to Nepal. (ii) Rail transit facility through Singhabad for Nepal’s Trade with and through Bangladesh would help to operationalise rail transit facility through Singabad in India for Nepal’s trade with and through Bangladesh.
- Inauguration of Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar transmission line: The two Prime Minister have signed the MOU which enables GoN to implement the Nepal portion of the 400 KV Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar transmission line, under an LoC of US$ 13.5 million. 80 MW power would flow immediately through this line, with an initial charge of 132 KV. Thereafter, it will be augmented to 200 MW in October 2016 at 220 KV, and then to 600 MW by December 2017 at 400 KV.
- Establishment of Eminent Persons Group(EPG): The EPG has now been constituted and it comprises eight members with each country nominating four members, preferably a parliamentarian, a lawyer, an economist and a civil society activist. Its mandate would be to comprehensively review bilateral relations and recommend measures including institutional frameworks to further enhance bilateral ties.
-Press Information Bureau