New Delhi, Sept. 16: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ arrived in New Delhi, the capital of the southern neighbour, India, Thursday on a four-day state visit, leading a 44-member official delegation.
On his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Prime Minister Prachanda was received by External Affairs Minister of India, Sushma Swaraj.
As a guest of the state of India, PM Prachanda is staying at Rastrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
During the day, various Indian leaders called on PM Prachanda at the Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi.
Sharad Yadav, leader of Janata Dal United, DP Tripathi, leader of Nationalist Congress party of India, Sitaram Yachuri and Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar State, called on the Prime Minister.
Issues of bilateral relations were discussed during the talks, the Prime Minister’s press advisor Govinda Acharya told The Rising Nepal after the meetings.
“We talked about various issues of national interest, including the problems the Nepalese and the Indians, particularly the people in Bihar, caused by the Koshi and other rivers,” Nitish Kumar, said talking briefly to media persons after the meeting.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Prachanda, Indian leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sitaram Yachuri, announced that his party would provide around Indian Rs. 85 million for reconstruction in the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
After holding discussions with Indian leaders, PM Prachanda addressed the Nepalese diaspora in India.
“I will include issues you have raised ranging from problems in opening bank accounts, harassment at the border while returning home to access to higher education to the children of migrant Nepalese here,” PM Prachanda said after receiving the memorandum from various orgnisations of Nepalese migrant workers in India.
PM Prachanda said that he
would hold formal discussions in India after listening to the voices of the Nepalese workers here.
“I have the feeling that the Nepalese workers in India have played a great role in bringing about political changes in Nepal, but they have not been duly credited for it or their contribution seems to have been forgotten after the achievement,” the PM said.
After the programme at the Nepalese embassy, PM Prachanda attended the reception hosted by the embassy.
Many Indian leaders, including Dr. Karan Singh of the Indian Congress party, former ambassador to Nepal KV Rajan, chiefs and representatives of diplomatic missions in New Delhi attended the reception.
“This visit will add new momentum to the age-old relations of the two neighbours, India and Nepal,” former ambassador to Nepal Rajan told The Rising Nepal.
PM Prachanda is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday.
