India, Nepal hold talks to strengthen cooperation in power sector

India and Nepal on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in the power sector, including the development of an integrated grid, building more cross-border transmission lines, and allowing Nepali power producers access to the Indian power market.

The two sides reviewed the progress made on bilateral processes and initiatives in the sector during the 8th Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting that concluded on Friday.

The power and energy secretaries of Nepal and India co-chaired the meeting through video conferencing.

Both sides discussed the development of suitable rules and guidelines for allowing access to Nepali power producers to Indian markets, development of energy banking mechanism, development of cross border high voltage transmission lines, according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy here.

The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the power sector cooperation between them, including the development of an integrated grid, the building of more cross-border transmission lines, as required, as well as investing in Nepal’s hydro and solar power projects.

They also reviewed the progress of the SJVN Limited- developed 900MW Arun-III Hydro Electric Project in Nepal and agreed to further facilitate its expeditious implementation.

"The positive and wide-ranging discussions are expected to further support the expansion in power sector cooperation between India and Nepal," according to the statement.

The JSC is the apex bilateral mechanism for enhancing and coordinating various Government-to-Government led initiatives in the power sector.

Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, Power Secretary, led the Indian delegation while the Nepalese delegation was led by Dinesh Kumar Ghimire.

Sahai was accompanied by India's Ambassador to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and a 17-member delegation drawn from various ministries and public sector undertakings of the Government of India, including NHPC Limited, NTPC Limited, and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

(IMAGE CREDITS:PTI)