Indian Minister Gadkari pays courtesy call on PM Koirala

Kathmandu, Nov 12: Visiting Indian Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, today paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sushil Koirala at his official residence at Baluwatar.

During the meeting, they discussed on different issues including Nepal-India relations, India's experience in infrastructure development, ongoing constitution writing process of Nepal and Nepal-India development assistance.

On the occasion, Indian Minister Gadkari thanked Prime Minister Koirala for providing time to him despite his busy schedule, and expressed the belief that Nepal would get a new democratic constitution on the slated time under Koirala's leadership.

Prime Minister Koirala said that Nepalis could not focus their attention towards development as they had spent six decades in the struggle for establishing democracy, and for its institutional development.

            Stating that peace and stability was necessary in democratic environment for the development of the country, he said environment conducive for the same has been created after the Constituent Assembly (CA) election held on November 19, 2013.

PM Koirala said the door to development is now opened in the country. He said the recently signed Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Project Development Agreement (PDA) between Nepal and India have created investment environment in the hydropower sector.

On the occasion, PM Koirala said the neighbouring countries--India and China--as well as the international community have continuously supported the constitution writing process of Nepal and also expected continuous support in days ahead.

He said works were underway to promulgate the new constitution on the slated time as per the schedule published after an agreement among political parties representing in CA.

The Prime Minister said although initiatives were underway to forge consensus on the contentious issues of the constitution writing including form of governance, state restructuring and judiciary and the electoral system by extending the tenure of the Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee time and again, but in vain.

Wishing for the success to promulgate the new constitution on the slated time, Minister Gadkari said India will always provide support for the peace, stability and development of Nepal. RSS