KATHMANDU: Power Secretary of India Alok Kumar called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Wednesday afternoon ahead of the India-Nepal Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meeting on bilateral Power Sector cooperation scheduled to take place in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The ninth meeting of energy officials from Nepal and India kicked off with discussions on bilateral cooperation on power trade and energy sector on Wednesday.

Today’s was the Joint Secretary-level meeting where Joint Secretary at Energy Ministry, Chiranjivi Chataut, and Director General at Electricity Development Department, Sanjiv Dev, attended the meeting from Nepal’s side while Joint Secretary at Electricity Ministry of India is leading the Indian delegation.

A Secretary-level joint directors’ meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

According to Director General Dev, positive discussion was held on construction of New Butwal-Gorakhpur interstate transmission line, upgrading of the capacity of existing transmission lines, and power trade.

The two sides discussed that they would work in unison for the development of energy sector. The next meeting being held on Thursday would take decisions, it is said.