Two separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed on February 13 and 14, 2007 by the Embassy of India, Kathmandu with (a) District Development Committee, Kavre and Shree Bhagwati Higher Secondary School of Kharelthok VDC in District Kavre for providing cooperation grant of NRs. 1,11,30,760/- for the construction of the school building, reservoir tank and provision of library books, and (b) District Development Committee, Sunsari and Shree Pakali Madhyamik Vidyalaya of Pakli VDC in District Sunsari for providing cooperation grant of NRs. 64,50,616/- for construction of additional floor consisting of seven classrooms and toilet block for the school.
Under the MOU, monitoring committees have been constituted for each project consisting of representatives from the respective school management committee, representatives of DDC and relevant District authorities to oversee the project, supervise the construction work and ensure effective utilization of the cooperation grant.
Shri Bhagwati Higher Secondary School, located in a remote area of Kharelthok VDC in District Kavre, is among the oldest schools in that area and is also the only higher secondary school in that VDC and four other adjoining VDCs. At present, over 650 students of the school attend classes in tin-roofed and dilapidated classrooms. Due to lack of funds, the school has not been able to carry out any plastering or repair work for years. The project, which will be the second on-going project in the education sector in District Kavre, will greatly contribute to the development of education in this remote area by providing improved infrastructure for learning.
The school building for Shree Pakali Madhyamik Vidyalaya of Pakli VDC in District Sunsari has been built with the assistance of Government of India and was inaugurated by Ambassador of India in September 2005. The proposal for construction of an additional floor consisting of seven classrooms and toilet block for the school, for which the MOU was signed on February 14, 2007, is added infrastructure requested by the school authorities for GOI assistance in order to upgrade the school to 10+2 level. The school, which was established in the year 1950, is one of the oldest secondary schools of that area and provides quality education to more than 2000 students, mostly belonging to tribal ethnic groups, backward communities and ex-servicemen’s families. The school is an extremely good example of the success of India-Nepal cooperation for small development projects and has galvanized the local community into constructing a small sub-health post for the children near the school from local resources. The construction of additional classrooms will further augment the infrastructure of the school to enable it to achieve higher educational standards. This will be the fifth educational project with GOI assistance in District Sunsari.
These two projects are part of the on-going bilateral economic cooperation programme between India and Nepal, under which more than 175 projects are being realized in the sectors of education, health, community development and infrastructure covering almost all the districts of Nepal with an outlay of NRs. 2000 crores. The new hope for peace and development in Nepal ushered in by historic changes and the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement stands to add greater vigour and momentum to developmental cooperation between India and Nepal.
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