Major General Alok Kacker was received at Tribhuvan International Airport by Colonel Amit Kumar Sharma, Defence Attaché of India to Nepal and officials of the Indian Embassy….reports Asian Lite News
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Madhya Uttar Pradesh Sub Area (MUPSA) Major General Alok Kacker and Colonel of the 9th Gorkha Rifles Regiment 9 went on a six-day official visit to Nepal.
He arrived in Kathmandu on September 25.
Major General Alok Kacker was received at Tribhuvan International Airport by Colonel Amit Kumar Sharma, Defence Attaché of India to Nepal and officials of the Indian Embassy.
He felicitated Gallantry awardees and veernaris at a rally in Pokhara. The General Officer also virtually inaugurated the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Type-E Polyclinic (Mobile Medical Unit) Bhojpur from Kathmandu.
The polyclinic would be a lifeline for Indian Army veterans and their families residing in and around remote areas of Bhojpur. It will provide doorstep healthcare services for more than five thousand Indian Army veterans and their families in the Far East region.
Major General Alok Kacker concluded his visit on October 1, 2023.
India-Nepal power trade
In a bid that will bolster bilateral energy cooperation, now Indian states can directly buy electricity from Nepal.
This agreement was reached during the 14th meeting of the Joint Technical Team ( JTT) on Wednesday in New Delhi, according to the Nepali side.
Both sides also reached an understanding on increasing the quantum of power to be traded through the Dhalkehar -Muzaffarpur cross – border transmission line and accelerating the – construction of cross-border lines to boos the power trade.
Any Indian undertaking that is in the power trading business can sell and buy electricity through a 132 kv transmission line, said Prabal Adhikari, head of the energy trade department of Nepal Electricity Authority, the power trade between Nepal and any Indian states will be signed at Energy Secretary level.
The agreement comes in operation and execution only after signing the deal whose meeting is expected to convene soon.
Those states who want to procure electricity from Nepal should propose first to India’s state power agency for approval.
In order to implement the agreement, two dedicated 132 kv transmission lines between Nepal and India will be used for power export from Nepal to Indian states like Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh among others. Nepal and India are going to complete the construction of 132 kv new Nautanwa – Mainaiya line and Kohalpur – Nanpara line which will be used for the import and export of power besides the 400 kv Dhalkehar – Muzaffarpur cross – border transmission line.
India’s Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam which is currently developing a 900 MW Arun – III hydropower project is building a 400 kv Dhalkebar – Sitamarhi line that is expected to evacuate up to 2,000 MW.
Now India is going to give access to Nepal to use this line for power export and import from the country. Earlier, this line was exclusively built to power export being produced in Arun III and two other projects.
As of now, Nepal and India are trading business only through the 400 kv Dhalkehar – Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line. The meeting also decided to upgrade the capacity of the Dhalkewar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line which has a capacity for importing and exporting 600-MW of electricity.
After strengthening of this transmission line, Nepal can sell 800 MW of electricity to India.
In the last joint steering committee meeting held in February, both sides agreed to increase the volume of power to be traded via the 400kv Dhalkehar – Muzaffarpur cross – border line from 600 MW to 800 MW.
As energy trade becomes a key foundation between Nepal and India, both countries are planning to constitute several cross-border transmission lines.
Besides, the 400KV Dhalkehar-Muzaffarpur cross-border line, both nations are also constructing Hetuda-Dhalkebar-Inaruwa line. Another 400 kV transmission line that is under construction between the two countries is Dodhara-Bareilly which is expected to complete by 2028-29. (ANI/IANS)
