Nepal government is sending an advance team to New Delhi to lay the ground for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's upcoming visit to India.
The team will jointly work with the Indian officials to set bilateral talks agenda even though the dates of Dahal's trip are yet to be finalised, according to a report published in Kathmandu Post on Sunday.
Report stated that in the absence of a designated foreign minister, Prime Minister Dahal aka Prachanda has instructed Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to dispatch an advance team.
Due to the delays in Cabinet expansion, the prime minister himself is in charge of the foreign ministry, besides 15 other ministries.
Prachanda could visit India between the second and third week of April, with exact travel dates subject to an official announcement.
Prime Minister's chief personal secretary Ramesh Malla told the Post that Dahal has already instructed the chief secretary to form an advance team of representatives from various ministries who will discuss the visit agenda to make it fruitful.
This will be the Prachanda's "return" visit, following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hop over to Lumbini in May last year.
Sources told the Post that a joint-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, probably heading the South Asia division, could lead the team involving joint-secretaries from various other ministers. The team will have representatives from ministries including energy and water resources; physical infrastructure and transport; industry, commerce and supplies; and culture, tourism and civil aviation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with the officials, mostly from the ministries that have important agendas to be taken up during the visit, Malla told the Post, who will lead the team is still unsure, but officials at the prime minister's office and the foreign ministry will take the lead.
The date of the prime minister's India visit will be fixed only after he gives his Cabinet full shape. Prime Minister Dahal has said that his first foreign visit will be to India.
After the prime minister expressed his intent to visit India first, New Delhi had sent Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kawtra to Kathmandu last month.
After winning a vote of confidence on March 20, Dahal reiterated that he would focus on the planned India tour. "I will go to India before April 20," Dahal said.
"Though we are yet to finalise the date of visit, it could happen in the first or second week of April," he told reporters at Parliament.
From China, which he visited first for the Beijing Olympics during his first stint as prime minister, Dahal has already received an invitation to the "Boao Forum for Asia" annual conference.
Assam veterinarians lauds execution of sex-sorted artificial insemination of cattle in Tripura
A 12-member delegation of veterinarians of Assam Sribhumi district has made their footfall in the state of Tripura for their 3-day visit and learns the execution of sex-sorted artificial insemination of cattle in the state.
Pradesh BJP to Launch 14 days campaign on Constitution Awareness
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura is set to launch 14 day long campaign to celebrate the Constitution of India and raise awareness about its core values, as well as the pivotal role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in its formation.
Ex Minister alleges negligence at ILS hospital, THRC seeks serves notice seeking response
Tripura Human Right Commission (THRC) has served a notice to a private hospital in Agartala seeking their stand on an allegation made by former Minister Gopal Chandra Das.
TSF to observe January 8 as Black Day in memory of CAA firing tragedy
The Twipra Students' Federation (TSF), an indigenous student body and member of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), has announced plans to observe January 8 as Black Day in remembrance of the 2019 firing that claimed three lives during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Govt allocates additional Rs 3 Crore for post-flood recovery: CM
In a significant step to bolster post-flood recovery efforts, the Tripura government has sanctioned an additional Rs 13 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
US Congress to certify Trump winner of 2024 election
The US Congress on Monday will certify President-elect Donald Trump's victory in the November 2024 election, peacefully wrapping up a ritual his supporters had tried to prevent in 2021 in the misleading belief that he had been cheated of a win.
Enrolment of new women voters in Tripura higher than of men: Officials
Enrolment of new women voters in Tripura, at 2,166, has been more than that of new male voters, leading to an increase of the gender ratio to 993 in the final electoral rolls from 991 of the draft electoral rolls, officials said here on Monday.
CM Dr Manik Saha pitches for development of nursing system in hospitals and health institutions for better service
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Monday attended the lamp lighting and oath taking ceremonial programme of the 2nd batch of the B.Sc Nursing students here at Agartala Government Nursing College and said that nurses play key role in rendering health services to the patients.