KATHMANDU: The Embassy of India to Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) and Triyuga Municipality, Udayapur, for construction of a new school building of Shree Bal Mandir Secondary School under the Government of India (GoI) grant assistance on Tuesday.

The MoU was signed by the head of Development Partnership and Reconstruction Wing of the Embassy, mayor of Triyuga Municipality and undersecretary from MoFAGA.

The project will be taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDPs) at an estimated cost of NRs 42.95 million under the Nepal–Bharat Maitri Development Partnership program.

Since 2003, under the HICDP scheme, GoI has taken up over 520 projects, of which 448 projects have completed in several areas across all seven provinces of Nepal. Out of these, 65 are in Province-1, including seven completed projects in Udayapur and 8 projects are under various stages of completion.

Proposals for the creation of infrastructure in the priority sectors of the Government of Nepal such as education, health, drinking water, agriculture, sanitation and public utilities, connectivity such as bridges, capacity building and vocational training, health camps in rural/remote areas, etc. and having a cost estimate of less than Rs 50 million are considered as HICDPs. These are implemented to support and provide immediate benefits to people of the project area, through local governments. 

India is also reconstructing 71 educational institutions damaged during the 2015 earthquake in eight districts of Nepal under a reconstruction grant of Rs 5,800 million. Eight schools have already been completed, work on 62 schools is ongoing and the Tribhuvan University Central Library project is under tender process.    

As close neighbors,  India and Nepal share unique ties of friendship and cooperation. Both countries enjoy old, unwavering, unmatched and multidimensional development partnership.