A Project Monitoring Committee comprising representatives from India and Nepal met on July 16, 2007 at Biratnagar to review the progress in construction of Manmohan Memorial Polytechnic, being established with the assistance of Government of India under the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme.
Government of India is providing assistance of NRs. 400 million for this project, for which a tripartite agreement was signed between the Government of India, the Government of Nepal and the Manmohan Memorial Foundation on June 30, 2003. The polytechnic will be fully equipped with necessary facilities and equipment to conduct diploma courses and practical training at in-house workshops. The project also involves Indian faculty assistance in the initial phases of operationalisation of the institute. The polytechnic will offer three-year diploma courses in the field of (i) Electrical Engineering with option for specialisation in hydroelectric power generation, electrical machines or power distribution, (ii) Electronics with option for specialisation in hospital equipment, digital electronics or telecommunication equipment, and (iii) Mechanical Engineering with option for specialisation in Production Engineering or Maintenance Engineering. Additionally, the polytechnic will offer short-term courses in nine trades.
The project is being executed by the Government of India through M/s Bhargava & Associates, New Delhi as consultants and M/s Rabina Constructions Pvt. Ltd. in J/V with Shiva Nirman Company Pvt. Ltd., Kathmandu as contractors.
This was the fourth meeting of the Project Monitoring Committee for this project and included representatives from Ministry of External Affairs and Embassy of India from the Indian side and Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education & Sports, Council for Technical Education & Vocational Training (CTEVT), and Manmohan Memorial Foundation from the Nepalese side. Representatives of consultant and contractor for the project also attended.
The Committee expressed satisfaction over the current progress in work and discussed future milestones for construction and procurement to ensure full-fledged operationalisation of the polytechnic in 2008. Members from both sides underlined the importance of this project as part of the India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme and committed to extend fullest cooperation to the consultant and the contractor to facilitate the execution of the project without any hindrance.
The polytechnic is part of more than 220 large and small projects currently being realized with the Indian assistance in the sectors of education, health, community development and infrastructure covering all the districts of Nepal with an outlay of over NRs. 20 billion.
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