Indian PM Modi to visit Lumbini on Buddha Jayanti

By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, May 11: Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is arriving in Nepal to mark the Buddha Jayanti in Lumbini on May 16.

This will be the first visit of the Indian Prime Minister after his re-election to the top post in 2019.

The Indian Prime Minister’s Lumbini visit was confirmed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba while addressing an election rally in Dadeldhura on Tuesday. Speaking at the election rally organised by Dadeldhura NC, Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Deuba said that the construction work of the West Seti Hydropower Project would be handed over to India during the visit. 

PM Deuba informed that an agreement would be made between Nepal and India on West Seti Hydropower Project since import of electricity from India is convenient compared to China. He said that a plan is being made to hand over the project to India as the Chinese company was not able to work efficiently.

Earlier on Sunday, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had also confirmed the visit of the Indian PM by dispatching letters to the government media houses including Gorkhapatra Corporation to dispatch their reporters to cover the event to be attended by PM Deuba and his Indian counterpart in Lumbini on May 16.

However, the Indian leader’s visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti will be a brief one. He will return to India from Lumbini. Nevertheless, the Indian PM’s Lumbini visit is expected to reinvigorate the ties between the two countries. 

Meanwhile, Our Dadeldhura Correspondent adds: Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba said that the work of the West Seti Hydropower Project would be initiated soon. 

Speaking at the election rally organised by Dadheldura NC, PM Deuba said the construction work of the project, which remained ignored for 29 years, will be started through an Indian company as agreed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Stating that the temporary capital was forced to be shifted to Kailali as even a large assembly hall could not be constructed in Dadeldhura earlier, PM Deuba assured that the construction of a well-organized bus park and airport would be taken forward along with the construction of the assembly hall.

On the same day, PM Deuba addressed the election rally of Amargadhi Municipality and Parshuram Municipality of Dadeldhura. NC Dadeldhura Secretary Sher Bhadur Bhandari informed that PM Deuba will stay in Dadeldhura till the local level election.