PM Dahal to visit Delhi from 15 September

By Our Reporter Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal seems to be well aware not to repeat the mistakes he committed while  leading the first government  of Republic of Nepal in 2008 by visiting Beijing prior to his New Delhi trip. His Beijing trip during the conclusion ceremony of the Olympics, which was a breach of tradition, resulted in the collapse of his government in nine months.  Almost all prime ministers of Nepal visit New Delhi first after assuming the high office. This time he is visiting New Delhi in one-and-a-half months he assumed the high office. If all goes well, Prime Minister Dahal will set to embark on a three-day official visit to India from September 15. The date for Prime Minister Dahal’s maiden India visit was confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi, who is currently in New Delhi, and Indian officials. Dahal was elected Prime Minister of Nepal on August 3. Nidhi,  in the capacity of a special envoy of PM Dahal held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and discussed PM Dahal’s visit to India among others issues.  Nidhi also held talks with Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. One of the main agendas of Nidhi’s visit to India was to fix the date for PM Dahal’s Delhi visit. PM Dahal will return from India on September 17 after holding a meeting with his Indian counterpart Modi and some high-level political meetings. Officials at India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that PM Dahal conveyed his desire to speed up development works in Nepal under Indian assistance rather than focusing on political and diplomatic matters and sought help from the Indian side for the same, a news report carried by the Kathmandu Post read. It is expected that a major project will be signed between Nepal and India during PM Dahal’s visit. Apart from that, PM Dahal has sent a long list of agreements he wants to sign during his visit. Officials said both sides were preparing to conclude the detailed project report of the much-awaited Pancheshwor Multi-purpose Project, finalise additional Indian assistance for earthquake victims and expedite works of Postal Road and Nepal Police Academy under Indian assistance. According to a source, the Indian leaders will seek clarifications on the Kathmandu-Nijgad fast track which the previous government had decided to build by the Nepal government scrapping a contract bid reached with an Indian company. DPM Nidhi had had handed over the contract to build the fast track to an Indian company when he was looking after the portfolio of the Physical  Infrastructure and Works Ministry in the Sushil Koirala-led government. However, if any act is made to alter the decision made by the Oli-led government is sure to invite confrontation in Nepal and Dahal may not dare to touch the issue. Even after assuming the high office he said that he would make no alternation to the decision taken by the previous government to build the fast track.