Kathmandu, October 12

The newly formed government today authorised Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa to talk to Indian authorities to bring to an end the disruption of essential supplies to Nepal.

The first Cabinet meeting held under new Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli mandated him to seek Indian government’s official view at political level, sources said.

The last Cabinet meeting under the then PM Sushil Koirala on Friday had set up a foreign minister-led team to talk to Indian authorities regarding resumption of essential supplies, including petroleum products, as soon as possible.

The then foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, however, didn’t take any initiative in this regard, as new government formation was under way.

“The government has decided to talk to India on a political level to ensure early resumption of the blocked supplies at the border checkpoints,” Minister for Law and Justice and spokesperson for the government Agni Kharel said following the meeting.

Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said other members of the DPM-led talks team would include new minister for commerce and supplies, Nepal’s Ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhayay and secretaries of ministries of foreign affairs, commerce and supplies, home affairs and finance.