At a public function held on December 5, 2006 in District Gorkha, the Manakamana Drinking Water Supply Project in district Gorkha was inaugurated on behalf of the Ambassador of India by Pranay Verma, Counsellor (Economic Cooperation). The function was well attended by representatives of DDC, Gorkha, local administration and a large number of people from the area. A message from Ambassador of India was read out during the function.
Manakamana village, famous for Shakti-Pitha, the shrine of Goddess Manakamana, is situated at a height of 1302 metres. The temple is visited by about 5 lakh pilgrims every year. In the absence of water supply in that area, people of the village as well as the pilgrims visiting the shrine had been facing acute shortage of drinking water supply in the area.
Under this cooperation project, for which a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Governments of India and Nepal on April 25, 2005, Government of India has provided a grant of NRs.60,40,709/- to the District Development Committee, Gorkha for construction of water reservoir tank, installation of water lifting pumps, laying of 500 metres of transmission pipe line for water supply and rehabilitation of 1000 metres of the existing pipe line.
Ambassador of India’s message reiterated the commitment of Government of India, made during the visit of Prime Minister of Nepal in June 2006, to triple the development to strengthen and diversify bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries.
Currently the bilateral cooperation programme between the two countries is witnessing the realisation of more than 160 projects in education, health and infrastructure sector in 65 districts of Nepal with an outlay of NRs.2000 crores. These are ongoing projects and distinct from NRs.1600 crores economic package announced during the visit of Prime Minister Koirala to India in June 2006. The benefits of further intensification of such cooperation for the people of Nepal will be consolidated in the coming months, following the signing of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
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