ID :
75979
Wed, 08/19/2009 - 09:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/75979
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Nepal to push forward Pancheshwor project during India visit
Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, Aug 18 (PTI) Ahead of his maiden official
visit to India, Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has
said he will push forward the Pancheshwor multipurpose project
as the electricity generated from it will be seven times
cheaper than the normal hydropower projects in power-starved
Nepal.
"The cost of the project is seven times cheaper than
ordinary power projects, therefore, this project including the
preparation of the Detailed Project Report must be expedited,"
he told PTI in an interview at his official residence here
ahead of his departure for New Delhi on a five-day visit.
The Pancheshwor project was part of the Mahakali
Integrated Treaty signed between Nepal's Premier Sher Bahadur
Deuba and then Indian Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao in 1996
and Communist Party of Nepal(Unified Marxist Leninist)
(CPN-UML), which was the main opposition at that time, also
endorsed the decision reaching a national consensus.
However, the project could not be taken forward due to
political instability in Nepal. Shortly after that the Maoists
launched a decade long armed struggle to topple monarchy.
After Maoists came to power through the peace process
ending the decade long conflict, the first Prime Minister of
Republic of Nepal Prachanda also expressed willingness to
expedite the project when he visited India last year.
He even proposed to construct power projects to
generate 10,000 MW power within the next 10 years by
implementing various projects including the 6,000 MW
Panchshwor and 3,200 MW Koshi high dam Projects.
However, taking a U-turn the Maoists are now opposing
the Pancheshwor project.
Senior Maoist leader C P Gajurel recently warned the
government against taking forward the Panheshwor project,
saying Nepal would not get much benefit from the treaty as it
was part the "Treacherous Mahakali Treaty".
They have even threatened to launch agitation if the
project was taken forward during Nepal's visit.
Prime Minister Nepal, however, said that we are not
completing everything on Pancheshwor in this visit as thought
by the Maoists. "There are certain aspects which are
beneficial to Nepal regarding the treaty and certain issues
has to be settled through discussion," he pointed out.
"We are not negotiating the entire project in this
visit as thought by the Maoists, as there are many ground
works need to be done," he said. "We, however, want the
project to move ahead positively during my visit."
"The Mahakali river is a border river and there are
common interest linked to it. We should cooperate and move
ahead jointly to take the common benefit of the project," the
prime minister said.
Nepal said that during his talks with Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, a host of issues, including extradition
treaty, the review of the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty,
Bhutanese refugee problem, Nepal's peace process and matters
relating to security and border will be discussed. PTI
Kathmandu, Aug 18 (PTI) Ahead of his maiden official
visit to India, Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has
said he will push forward the Pancheshwor multipurpose project
as the electricity generated from it will be seven times
cheaper than the normal hydropower projects in power-starved
Nepal.
"The cost of the project is seven times cheaper than
ordinary power projects, therefore, this project including the
preparation of the Detailed Project Report must be expedited,"
he told PTI in an interview at his official residence here
ahead of his departure for New Delhi on a five-day visit.
The Pancheshwor project was part of the Mahakali
Integrated Treaty signed between Nepal's Premier Sher Bahadur
Deuba and then Indian Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao in 1996
and Communist Party of Nepal(Unified Marxist Leninist)
(CPN-UML), which was the main opposition at that time, also
endorsed the decision reaching a national consensus.
However, the project could not be taken forward due to
political instability in Nepal. Shortly after that the Maoists
launched a decade long armed struggle to topple monarchy.
After Maoists came to power through the peace process
ending the decade long conflict, the first Prime Minister of
Republic of Nepal Prachanda also expressed willingness to
expedite the project when he visited India last year.
He even proposed to construct power projects to
generate 10,000 MW power within the next 10 years by
implementing various projects including the 6,000 MW
Panchshwor and 3,200 MW Koshi high dam Projects.
However, taking a U-turn the Maoists are now opposing
the Pancheshwor project.
Senior Maoist leader C P Gajurel recently warned the
government against taking forward the Panheshwor project,
saying Nepal would not get much benefit from the treaty as it
was part the "Treacherous Mahakali Treaty".
They have even threatened to launch agitation if the
project was taken forward during Nepal's visit.
Prime Minister Nepal, however, said that we are not
completing everything on Pancheshwor in this visit as thought
by the Maoists. "There are certain aspects which are
beneficial to Nepal regarding the treaty and certain issues
has to be settled through discussion," he pointed out.
"We are not negotiating the entire project in this
visit as thought by the Maoists, as there are many ground
works need to be done," he said. "We, however, want the
project to move ahead positively during my visit."
"The Mahakali river is a border river and there are
common interest linked to it. We should cooperate and move
ahead jointly to take the common benefit of the project," the
prime minister said.
Nepal said that during his talks with Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, a host of issues, including extradition
treaty, the review of the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty,
Bhutanese refugee problem, Nepal's peace process and matters
relating to security and border will be discussed. PTI
