Bilateral projects will now move on fast track, says Indian envoy Ranjit Rae

Kathmandu, February 13

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun today said outgoing Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae played his role successfully during his stint in Nepal.

He also said Rae contributed crucially to bring Nepal-India relations closer and that Nepali people wouldn’t forget this.

Speaking at a valedictory function for Ambassador Rae organised by Mahamana Malaviya Mission in Nepal, the vice president also assured that the Government of Nepal would support the establishment of a Nepal Hindu University in Kavre district.

The Mahamana Malaviya Mission has been considering setting up a university — in a link-up with the Bishwo Hindu University, India.

Addressing the event, Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae said he felt proud to work in Nepal as the Indian

ambassador.

He further said that the foundation of Nepal-India relations was solid and it would grow stronger despite some ups and downs.

Ambassador Rae also said that pending  bilateral projects, including the Pancheshwor Multipurpose Project and the Postal Highway would move ahead on a fast track as the two countries had started reviewing the projects and giving directions on a regular basis for early completion.

He also reiterated that whatever Indian government has been doing in Nepal is based on good intentions for the best interest of Nepal and bilateral relations.

After completing his stint in Nepal, Ambassador Rae is returning to India on March 1. A senior official of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu told this daily that the new Indian envoy to Nepal had not been named yet.

Speaking at the programme, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav said Nepal has failed to learn from India’s exercise in successfully holding periodic elections since the 1950s.

He also cast doubt on the possibility of conducting four elections — local, provincial and parliamentary as well as elections of the Upper House — before 21 January 2018, a deadline mentioned in the constitution.

“We have to import and manage everything, from ballot papers to ink, how can it be possible to hold polls in 60 or 90 days,” he said.

At the function, head of the Malaviya Mission in Nepal Yogacharyaa GN Saraaswati said that his institution had initiated the process of establishing a Nepal Hindu University, for which at least 10,000 ropani land had already been acquired. He also sought help of the Government of Nepal, intellectuals and other relevant agencies to facilitate the process of setting up the new university.