India will restart negotiations this month with the new regime in Nepal on setting up the 6480 MW Pancheshwar multi-purpose hydro-electric project.
According to a report by southasianmonitor.com, the governing body meeting of the Pancheswar development authority which has members of both India and Nepal, is likely to be held on April 25, followed by meeting of experts next month, said an official in the Union water resources ministry who did not want to be named.
The Indian delegation for the Pancheswar development authority meeting will be headed by UP Singh, secretary water Resources, while the group of experts meeting will be headed by chairman of the central water commission, Maqsood Hussain. The governing body meeting is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu while the date and venue for the expert group meeting is yet to be decided.
“All the contentious issues like benefit water sharing will be discussed in the two meetings,” the official said.
Pancheswar, a multi-purpose project conceived under 1996 Mahakali treaty between India and Nepal, got a fillip when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Nepal in 2014. A Pancheshwar development authority was set up consequently formed to finalise the project.
The water resources ministry official said five meetings of the governing body of Pancheshwar development authority have been held so far, the last of which was about eight months ago.
The detailed project report of Pancheshwar multi-purpose project was submitted in November 2016 to the Pancheswar development authority and the governments of the two countries.
Officials say New Delhi was waiting for the new regime to settle in Nepal before restarting the negotiations.