Top Indian and Nepali officials attended the 11th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation when an agreement on Long Term Power Trade was signed.

"The 11th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation (JSC), co-chaired by Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India and Mr. Gopal Prasad Sigdel, Secretary (Energy), Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, was held in Chitwan on 5 January 2024," read a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal.

"The meeting followed the signing of the Agreement on Long Term Power Trade between India and Nepal on 4 January 2024," the statement said.

This was preceded by the 11th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Power Sector Cooperation (JWG) held on 3 January 2024 that was co-chaired by D. Sai Baba, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power andNabin Raj Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Government of Nepal in Kathmandu.

These meetings comprehensively reviewed the bilateral power sector cooperation between India and Nepal, including power trade and the implementation of hydropower projects and transmission lines.

The progress made in various bilateral committees, including Joint Technical Team (JTT), was also discussed.

"The modalities of cross border power trade through 132 kV and below transmission lines were approved during the meeting. This assumes special significance as three new 132 kV lines i.e., second circuit of Raxaul (Bihar, India) -Parwanipur (Nepal), second circuit of Kataiya (Bihar, India) -Kusaha (Nepal) and New Nautanwa (Uttar Pradesh, India)-Mainhiya (Nepal) were inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister of India and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal on 4 January 2024," the statement said.

These lines add about 200 MW transmission capacity enhancing the overall transmission capacity between India and Nepal to 1400 MW.

Further, the New Nautanwa-Mainhiya transmission line is the first connection between Nepal and the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Achieving progress on the India-Nepal Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation issued during the visit of Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal to India in April 2022, both sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the Joint Hydro Development Committee (JHDC) soon.

Power Secretary Shri Pankaj Agarwal also called on Hon’ble Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal, Mr.  Shakti Bahadur Basnet before the JSC.

The two sides agreed to continue the discussions on the subject and decided to meet soon for the next sessions of the JWG/JSC meetings to be organized by the Indian side.