Kathmandu, August 31

Nepal and India today signed a memorandum of understanding regarding preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey of the broad gauge line between Raxaul and Kathmandu.

The MoU was signed by Ministry of Physical Planning and Works Secretary Madhusudan Adhikari and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri on behalf of the respective governments.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi witnessed the signing on the sidelines of the fourth summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.

Konkan Railway Corporation of India has been entrusted with conducting a preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey of the new rail line in consultation with the government of Nepal, according to a press release issued by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.

Prior to the signing, the two prime ministers also held bilateral talks, in which they expressed satisfaction that the agendas set during previous meetings — related to transmission lines, railway, energy bank, inundation control and inland waterways — were moving in the right direction, according to Oli’s Press Adviser Kundan Aryal.

On the occasion, Modi conveyed to Oli that India was planning an international event titled ‘Gandhi 150’ on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and urged Oli to do something similar for the occasion, said government sources.