TARA BAHADUR KATUWAL, KATHMANDU: Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has stressed on the need for Nepal and India to move ahead jointly on security and economic issues. While stressing that bilateral relationship between both nations has been different than both countries bilateral relationships, he said the foundation of the relationship is very strong.

Addressing an one-day workshop on “Nepal India Relationship: Prospects and Challenges” organized by the Reporters Club Nepal a day after India celebrated its 65^th Republic Day on January 26^th, Rae expressed hope that the bilateral relationship between both nations will gain further movement after Nepal concludes its ongoing constitution writing process.

He pointed out tourism, agriculture and hydropower as key areas, which can help Nepal in achieving its development goals and said that both nations could collaborate in this regard, at the seminar presided by Reporters Club Nepal’s Chairman Rishi Dhamala.

Rae said that both nations should hold openly discuss issues of concern with each other instead of averting dialogue on them and claimed that all contended issues can be resolved through talks and further strengthen mutual bilateral ties.

“ Both nations share close ties. And even close relationships have ups and downs. Such contentions should be dealt through the means of dialogue. There are no issues that cannot be resolved through dialogue,” Rae said.

He said that peace, security and economic development of both countries are mutually shared issues and said that problems in either of the nations will affect the other. So, he stressed on the need to resolve those issues through dialogue.

“No country can move ahead alone. Therefore nations should stress on moving ahead jointly by figuring out issues of mutual concern and benefits. This trend helps in further strengthening relationship,” he said.

Rae said that challenges in bilateral relationship of both nations can be resolved and be even made mutually beneficial.

Speaking at the same program, Nepali Congress General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula said that Nepal-India relationship is directly connected with the lives of Nepali people and said that Nepal’s political parties should move ahead by making common understanding on it. He said that inability of political parties to reach a common understanding on diplomatic issues with India has deprived Nepal to benefit from its relationship with India. He opined that Nepal could resolve its power outage problem by utilizing its hydropower resources, if political parties reach common understanding.

Speaking on the same occasion, CPN UML leader K P Sharma Oli stressed that both nations should work for the welfare of the other instead of acting otherwise.

Stating that problems in Indo Nepal relationship were gradually minimizing, Oli said that in the days ahead both nations will prosper through each other’s development.

UCPN Maoist leader Ram Karki said that bilateral relationship between the nation has failed to focus on people-to-people relationship and claimed that the relationship could be further strengthened if the lacking was addressed.

He opined that diplomatic relationship at the political level is not only sufficient to address and said the relationship should not be reviewed as per international perspective. He said that Nepal and its neighboring countries, especially China and India will equally benefit from Nepal’s prosperity.

CPN Maoist Vice President C P Gajurel said that his party is not anti-Indian while opining that his party is favor of reviewing existing relationship on the basis of international diplomatic principles and moving ahead for each others’ prosperity.

We are not in favor of protesting against India, we are just in favor of building a mutually beneficial relationship with India on the basis of equality.

Other speakers at the occasion, MJF-N Chairman Upendra Yadav, RPP leader Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani among others stressed on building mutually beneficial relationship.

While concluding the program, Rishi Dhamala said that common understanding between political party leaders at the program will be instrumental in further strengthening bilateral relationship between India and Nepal in the days ahead.

Earlier, one daily had said the Indian side had ignored its commitment to supply more electricity to Nepal.

The embassy said that the change of conductors in Kushaha (Nepal) – Kataiya (India) 132 KV Cross-Border Transmission line was one of the medium term measures to improve the power situation in Nepal. This had been identified by an India-Nepal joint team of technical experts in November 2011.

In July, NEA had requested India’s consent to re-conductor the Indian portion of transmission line through a Nepali contractor. According to the mission, NEA had requested permission for the Nepali contractor to transport the required construction equipment and materials from Nepal to the work site in India. NEA had also sought exemption of customs duty on third country origin conductor, which would be installed at the Indian segment of the transmission line.

“Officials of this embassy have explained to NEA officials for the last one month that for the proposed export of construction equipment and materials, an Indian importer having Import Export Code (IEC) would be required to be appointed,” the embassy added. “For making any import into India and also for considering customs exemption on such imports, an importer with a valid IEC would be mandatorily required.”

The Indian embassy stressed that NEA has not responded to this, despite repeated requests. “The matter has now been formally communicated to the Government of Nepal.

The Indian mission can process the NEA request with the Government of India only after receipt of this information from NEA,” it added. It further said NEA has the option of expediting the contract by complying with existing legal requirements in India.

KATHMANDU: Ranjit Rae, the new Indian ambassador to Nepal arrived in Kathmandu on Monday evening.  Rae is scheduled to present his letters of credence to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav on Wednesday, a statement issued by the Ministry of Foriegn

Affairs stated.

Upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Rae expressed honor to “serve in this beautiful country.”

Rae succeeded Jayant Prasad who returned home after completing his two-year assignment on August 26.

Prasad will be succeeded by Ranjit Rayee. Rayee has been lauded for his important role in the signing of the 12 point Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the then Maoist rebels and Nepal’s parliamentary parties in New Delhi.

The embassy has informed that he will taking over responsibilities at the embassy from next week.

KATHMANDU: Visiting influential Indian political leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has said India was looking forward for Nepal to hold CA elections at the earliest and draft the new constitution at the earliest.

Prasad, who is foreign affairs department chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Deputy leader of the party in Indian Rajhya Sabha said so while addressing a press meet at the Reporters Club Nepal on Surnday morning.

“It is upto Nepalese people and political parties on how to hold CA elections by bringing all the dissenting political parties into confidence,” he said adding that India was expressing its compliments to the Nepalese people to hold CA election on the proposed date.

Speaking at the program presided by the Club’s president Rishi Dhamala, Prasad said that India and other nations looked forward to see democracy flourish in Nepal and does not supports any types of governance or constitutional model. ” These are things that Nepalese people and political parties will decide, all we are looking forward is that democracy and republicanism should flourish in Nepal by ending the present status quo.”

He said that it is Nepal’s political parties and Nepalese people’s task to decide a date for CA elections and added that India is always ready to support Nepalese endeavors for it.

Stating Indian people, government and political parties fully respected sovereignty, integrity and unity he stressed on the need of increased cooperation between both nations to see tangible development in educational, social, economical, health and other sectors in Nepal.

On the occasion, he stressed on fostering cultural relativity between both nations on the basis of mutual respect.

KATHMANDU: Visiting Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar has been busy in meeting with senior political leaders in Nepal.

Shankar is on a three day visit to Nepal for participating in a program organized by Nepal India Development Forum in Kathmandu.

On Saturday morning he held discussions with CPN UML leader K P Sharman Oli, Sadbhavana Party president Rajendra Mahato on issues surrounding CA elections and the ongoing status quo seen towards holding it.

Soon after that meeting, he had held discussions with UCPN Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal on Nepal-India cooperation and had expressed Indian peoples wishes to see Nepal holding CA elections.
He expressed confidence that the Nepal’s political parties will find solutions to all their differences through mutual discussion and deliver the much expected constitution through the CA.

Soon after that he held discussions with Nepali Congress Vice President Ram Chandra Paudel, TMLP president Mahant Thakur, Forum Democratic President Bijay Kumar Gachhadari.

Later today, he is scheduled to hold talks with Election Council Chairman Khilaraj Regmi, Forum Nepal President Sharad Singh Bhandari among others.

He is scheduled to address a press meet at the Reporters Club Nepal tomorrow at 12.30, on Sunday.

DARJEELING: Two top Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders, including an executive member of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), were arrested on Thursday here in connection with old cases of arson pending against them, the police said.

Benoy Tamang, assistant secretary of GJM and an executive member in-charge of information and culture department of GTA, was arrested early on Thursday morning from Rambi near Sikkim-West Bengal border at Kalimpong sub-division.

He was arrested during a police raid in the area, sources said, adding that he was held for cases related to arson.

Acting on a tip-off, another GTA member and leader of GJM, Satish Pokhrel, was arrested from a different location in Kalimpong, sources said.

He was also arrested for old police cases pending against him, the police said.

With the arrest of Tamang and Pokhrel, 13 GTA members have been arrested so far since the indefinite bandh demanding separate Gorkhaland began in Darjeeling hills.

Two other members of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) were also arrested early on Thursday from Kalimpong.

A total of 685 leaders and members of GJM and bandh supporters were arrested in Darjeeling hills since July 29, the police said.

Meanwhile, normal life continues to be affected in Darjeeling hills with shops, business establishments, offices, schools and educational institutions remaining closed.

As part of their two-day ‘Rasta Janta’ (people on the roads) programme, a huge number of GJM supporters have begun to gather on the main roads of the town and chant slogans in demand for Gorkhaland.

The ongoing rain and storm which uprooted trees and damaged small houses in Darjeeling town has stopped. The roads are still being cleared of the uprooted trees, administrative officials said.

KATHMANDU: UCPN Maoist and Nepali Congress has suggested the Khilaraj Regmi government to seek clarification from India over the recent floods in Mahakali River.
Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal and NC Vice President Ram Chandra Paudel claimed that Darchula suffered huge loss of human and physical resources due to Indian negligence in controlling the water at the Dhauliganga Hydropower Project.
In addition to it, the duo has suggested that the government should also seek compensation from India for the damages done by the floods in Nepal.
During his meeting with Regmi, Prachanda had urged Regmi to declare relief packages for flood victims (amounting to Rs 1 lakh to each affected family) and had also urged to provide a helicopter to him for inspecting the area.

Paudel had also made similar request during a separate meeting with Regmi during which he was accompanied by his party’s leaders.

Indian government owned 280 MW DGHP is said to have opened its doors to clear all the silts from its 70 meter high damn along the Indo-Nepal border.

The dam water mixes into Mahakali River after traveling around 5 kilometers down the river near Indo-Nepal border.

Excessive release of water from the damn and natural floods in the Mahakali river had swept the headquarters of Darchula, a district bordering India’s Dharchula in North-West of Nepal.

Spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, Arjun Bahadur Thapa, said the Nepali pilgrims stranded after the disaster at Badri Kedar of Uttarkhand in India were being rescued by the Indian government upon the request of Nepal government.

Seventy out of some 400 Nepalis stranded have already been airlifted to safe camps at Dehradun and Rishikesh of India, he added.

“Nepali Embassy in New Delhi is also constantly in contact with the Indian rescuers and doing the needful to rescue the affected Nepalis. And, there has been no reported Nepali casualty in the disaster,” said Spokesperson Thapa.

According to the Indian media, the landslides and floods lashed Uttarkhand of India, killing at least 70 persons, affecting 60,000 people and destroying massive physical infrastructures recently.

Badri Kedar is one of the holy pilgrim sites that Hindus from Nepal visit frequently.

KATHMANDU: The Nepal-India Home Secretarial-level meeting has kicked off in the capital today.

The talks would focus on the issues of cross-border criminal activities and security situation of the two nations.

Similarly, the Indian team members are likely to raise the issue of Indian fake currency notes strongly. Lately, India has been piling pressure on Nepali officials to curb the smuggling of fake Indian currency.

India’s Home Secretary R K Singh is leading a 16-member talks team while Home Ministry Secretary Nabin Kumar Ghimire is heading the Nepali delegation in the meeting.

Top officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Home, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Department of Immigration and top-level police officials, among other officials are representing the Nepali delegation.