December 4: The eighth secretary-level meeting for the implementation of the Power Trade Agreement (PTA) between Nepal and India is scheduled to be held next week. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday (December 10 and 11) through virtual medium.

An electricity trade agreement was signed between Nepal and India in October 2014. Nepal-India Secretary-level meeting has been held every year for the implementation of the PTA. After signing the PTA, the two countries have been holding meetings alternately.

Prior to this, the meeting was held on October 26, 2019 in Bangalore, India. This time it is Nepal's turn to organize the meeting. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation informed that the meeting will be held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Energy Secretary of the Government of Nepal Dinesh Ghimire informed that a secretary-level meeting will be held next week. He informed that works are underway to formulate the agenda to be presented at the meeting and necessary preparations are being made.

Last year's meeting had decided to build the New Butwal-New Gorakhpur Second Interstate Transmission Line (400 KV) with equal investment from both the countries.

The Bangalore meeting also approved the detailed project report of two more inter-country transmission lines - Inaruwa-Purnia and Lamki-Bareilly - between the two countries. The investment structure of these two transmission lines will be decided in the coming meeting.