Nepal to seek Rs 75b for five years

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, June 6 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who is beginning a four-day official visit to India from Tuesday, will request the Indian government for development aid worth Rs 75 billion for the next five years.

The government's 'wish list', which was presented in the cabinet today by Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, mainly aims to seek Indian assistance in infrastructure development, said a government source. The proposed aid volume is far higher than what India has been extending to Nepal annually. Currently, India provides about two billion rupees worth of development aid.

Apart from budgetary support, the government will seek Indian assistance in hydropower, roads and aviation sectors, said officials and added that the 'wish list' has received positive signals from India.

During bilateral negotiations, the government is proposing special Indian assistance for the development of at least one big hydropower project to tackle the worsening power crisis in the country.

Sources said the government is planning to propose three mega projects - 600 MW Budigandaki, 400 MW Arun III and 300 MW Upper Karnali for Indian assistance.

However, Indian officials have shown interest in developing the 300-MW Upper Karnali, which is estimated to cost US$ 500 million, said the source.

The government is also proposing financial support of four billion rupees for construction and maintenance of 600 kilometers of road particularly in the hilly region, and construction of 23 bridges along the East -West highway. The construction of bridges alone is estimated to cost over one billion rupees. The request for road construction would be in addition to the 1500 km road construction in the Terai region, to which India is already committed.

The visiting delegation will also request the Indian government to extend budgetary support of one billion rupees to address the liquidity problem likely to arise in the next

fiscal year starting from mid-July.

Likewise, the government will also request deferment of payment of huge outstanding dues by state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation to Indian Oil Corporation. The accumulated dues have crossed five billion rupees and the government wishes to convert the dues into a long-term loan, said the official.

The government will also propose a waiver of Rs 1.6 billion worth of arms and ammunition dues. India had supplied arms, ammunition and military equipment worth over seven billion rupees between 2003 and 2005.

The government will also request the Indian government for support in establishing a polytechnic institute in the far western region. With regard to other infrastructure development, Nepal will ask for a detailed survey of East-West railway, while India has shown interest in constructing at least one airport in the hilly districts.

Likewise, the government will request the Indian government to scrap the four-percent additional duty slapped on imports from Nepal.

Posted on: 2006-06-05 20:22:06 (Server Time)


IF WE ASK FOR THIS KIND OF HELP THEN WHAT DO WE EXPECT ,AREN'T THEY GOING TO DICTATE HOW WE LIVE??

We don't need any help from that Indians... And that's not the aid for the development of our country but for the storage of Giri ja's Bhandar. What you think guys ???????????

well getting help from indian and letting nepalese exploit has been tradition in nepalese politics.No one is better than another .So my point is this if we are so dependent on india then we do we make big fuss that they dicatate our policies.There were lot of thread against india .i just want to ask why?

india ko aid nepal lai chahincha!!!!neighbours are like brothers!!!

India is not brother ,India treats Nepal as servant.if they pay ,they ofcourse want to take advantage .No body helps anyone without reason.This is not botherly love .It is just how it is so we have to keep quite and deal with it if we beg for their help.Some unfairness in the deal is likely there is no point making this an issue from so called Nationalist.Not that i support india .This is one bitter fact of life.

That's call Economic Bondage !!

We simply don't have enough financial resources available to us to make the kind of investment in infrastructure that is being talked about which is why we need money from outside. India seems to be the only one willing to give on the scale we are asking for.
Sad but true.

One other reason is we Nepalese are selffish and do not want to help Nepal at all as long as we have what we need we do not care about others. So we dont offer anything to help our country and our people, but some one has to help and thats where India comes in but it gets something in return.

Then all nepalese should quit complaining and accept the fact that our food is dependent on india.So food comes first before freedom.There might be some people who don't agree but practically speaking thats the truth.

why could not Nepal take loans from Other countries why do we need expect free money from india which is not exactly free.

Nepal already has a huge loan burden - why add to it? Besides, the things we are talking about here : roads, bridges, airports, schools are things we need for the country regardless of who is in power. The more we can invest in rural infrastructure - which a lot of this is about - the better the chances of combatting economic disparity and the problems it creates (one example of which is the Maoist movement)

Sure, I would like Nepal to be free of foreign aid someday. But that day is not today. Today, we need this type of investement and we stand to gain much more from it than India does. It isn't every day that India can be made to invest this way and I think the government is doing the right thing by striking when the iron is hot.

Yeah, these Maoists destroyed a lot of roads, bridges, airports, schools during past 13 years... so Nepalese people should force their cadres to rebuild al the nfrastructures they destroyed. Why do they need to join the Army... they have enough things to do.

Give the dogs like Prachanda and Baburam one two minister positions.. and his slave cadres should go back and start rebuilding everything... forget about joining the army, ass*holes.

Without help of India or other country do you guys think Nepal will survive?? I am just wondering!!!!!!!!

Ok then everybody admits we cannot sustain our own.we need help .Can't it be possible to build our nation ourself .(I am being very selfish ,i am in usa and preaching but i will contribute as much as i can from here ).Yes , we might suffer a lot in the begining but we will be independent .There will be more love for the country in the part of Netas and janta.I think nepal should give a shot building herself without anyhelp from India or any nation.We have seen the foreign aids doesn't really help.

It's a great idea that won't happen anytime soon. I am with you but there is a path and timeline to attaining self-reliance and ironically receiving and investing foreign aid in intfrastructe mighty be the first couple of steps on that path.

I think once you start begging u will be begging forever.U will get used to it and it is easy.People like easy way out.Haven't you heard saying:"beggars never forget to beg nomatter how rich he becomes." .The attitude should change from the begining otheriwse the change it is very hard to achieve.

I agree but do you think the country will survive even a month without external assitance (regardless of who is in power) ?

Then let it be .if cannot sustain itself it is better that we hit the floor at least we will learn to get up on our own.

Tell that to all the people who are jobless and are either fleeing to India/ Gulf for jobs or joining the Maoists ranks for a paycheck. A job is the best social and economic program and investments stimulate the job market. That is a more practical way to self-reliance.

We are going down hill not because of inability of nepalese people.it is because of incompetent leaders.It is very much possible for Nepal to stand on in its own feet.That is what i am voicing.
Nepal has two choice:follow the same tradition as panchayat and 90's democracy be aid dependent country forever.In this direction we will remain one of the poorest nation forever and there is no way out.But we might no just hit the bottom.Some one will catch us .And the life goes on .Poor will be poor .Same growth rate.Development just for name sake.Pay check made up of foreign aids.

Second choice:Do or die.If we learn to stand on our own .We will never have to look back.