KATHMANDU, July 27: The Government of India has provided Rs 2.1 billion to the as reimbursement of first tranche of private housing reconstruction grant under the cooperation in post-earthquake reconstruction projects.

A program for cheque handover to this end was held at the Ministry of Finance, Kathmandu today in the presence of Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, as stated by the Ministry.

Dr. Rajan Khanal, Secretary, Ministry of Finance received the cheque from Manjeev Singh Puri, Ambassador of India to Nepal, on behalf of the Government of Nepal. The amount covers the first tranche of housing grant for private housing reconstruction of 42,086 beneficiaries in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts.

The Government of Nepal has expressed its appreciation to the Government of India for providing generous humanitarian support for post-earthquake reconstruction program and recalled in this event the prompt support from the southern neighbor in the rescue and search operation immediately after the earthquake. RSS

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.

Taking note of the conflicting versions of the Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police, the home ministry is likely to order a probe on circumstances leading to Shah’s arrest, according to the Times of India.

“A decision on whether an inquiry is warranted will be taken after scrutiny of both the versions,” the report quoted Indian Home Secretary RK Singh as saying.

The New Delhi police have claimed that they arrested Shah and foiled a suicide strike in New Delhi that he had orchestrated. On the other hand, his family and Jammu and Kashmir police have said that the former militant had surrendered before the SSB at the Sunauli check-posit along the Nepal border, and was part of a group returning from Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK ) as part of the rehabilitation policy of the Jammu and Kashmir government, according to the Times of India.

On Friday, Delhi Police had announced that Shah was arrested on suspicion of being a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist.

Following the arrest his wife said that Shah came to surrender before the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir after the application of his family for his rehabilitation under the state government’s policy was approved by the authorities.

KATHMANDU: Inidan National Congress leader and special emissary of India’s ruling party Karan Singh has reached Kathmandu on Friday for a two day visit. However, another influential Indian diplomat and former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Sharan is also coming to Nepal next week.

Visit to Nepal by these two high profile Indian diplomats which have affinity to different political ideologies in Nepal has given much impetus to Nepal’s analyst to write on.

Karan is supposed to be near Nepal’s deposed royal family and is also family relative of Nepal’s pro-monarchist leader Pashupati Shumsher Rana.

Karan is scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by Rana on Friday evening and is expected to meet Nepal’s high profile leaders during the party.

Analysts claim that Karan had personally, not officially, favoured Nepal as Hindu Kingdom but in the recent days have lost charm here.

But with Gyanendra and monarchy gone, Karan in the recent days has shown close affinity with Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav.

On the other hand, Shyam Sharan, who is also former ambassador to Nepal, has a opposite ideology than that of Karan Singh.

Supposed to be a pro-Republican diplomat, Sharan is credited with supporting the installation of secularism and republicanism in Nepal.

He had played critical role in bringing Nepal’s parliamentary parties and the than Maoist rebels together against the monarchy and was also there during the signing of 12 point Comprehensive Peace Agreement in New Delhi.

He shares close affinity with Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai.

Visit by these two opposite-ideology-bearing personalities in Nepal at a time when Nepal’s own political parties are at odds, is sure to create some ripples in the days ahead.

Though guesses about these changes might be premature to do, it is definite that there will be something coming in the days ahead.