KATHMANDU: India’s Minister of Power, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday morning for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka.

Khattar was welcomed at Tribhuvan International Airport by officials from Nepal’s Ministry of Energy and representatives of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. During his stay, Minister Khattar is scheduled to inaugurate several cross-border energy infrastructure projects constructed with Indian assistance.

On Tuesday afternoon, he will jointly inaugurate the 220 kV Koshi Corridor transmission line and substations at Tumlingtar, Baneshwar, and Basantapur. The Inaruwa–Basantpur–Baneshwar–Tumlingtar transmission line and associated substations were constructed to enhance electricity trade and grid stability between the two countries.

Khattar will also visit the powerhouse and dam site of the Arun III Hydropower Project, a major India-funded venture currently under construction in eastern Nepal. In addition, a memorandum of agreement will be signed for the establishment of a joint company to construct new cross-border transmission infrastructure.

On Wednesday (April 23), the Indian minister is scheduled to visit the holy pilgrimage site of Muktinath in Mustang. He will also pay courtesy calls on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh the same day. Minister Khattar will conclude his visit by offering prayers at the Pashupatinath Temple in the evening before departing for India.