Nepal, India ink pact for electricity export

Nepal and India have inked an agreement setting the target to reach 10,000 MW of electricity export to India in the coming decade. Secretary for the Nepalese Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Gopal Sigdel and Indian Energy Secretary Pankaj Agarwal signed a memorandum of understanding on the deal during a meeting between the two foreign ministers in Kathmandu. On September 5 last year, India had announced that it would buy 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal over 10 years with the endorsement of a long-term inter-government power trade agreement. The energy deal was among the four agreements signed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar?s two-day visit to Kathmandu. India has also agreed on a Rs 10 billion financial aid to Nepal for reconstruction of Jajarkot and Rukum West which were worst hit by the earthquake last November.