Nepal to seek Rs 75b for five years Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, June 6 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who is beginning a four-day official visit to India from Tuesday, will request the Indian government for development aid worth Rs 75 billion for the next five years. The government's 'wish list', which was presented in the cabinet today by Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, mainly aims to seek Indian assistance in infrastructure development, said a government source. The proposed aid volume is far higher than what India has been extending to Nepal annually. Currently, India provides about two billion rupees worth of development aid. Apart from budgetary support, the government will seek Indian assistance in hydropower, roads and aviation sectors, said officials and added that the 'wish list' has received positive signals from India. During bilateral negotiations, the government is proposing special Indian assistance for the development of at least one big hydropower project to tackle the worsening power crisis in the country. Sources said the government is planning to propose three mega projects - 600 MW Budigandaki, 400 MW Arun III and 300 MW Upper Karnali for Indian assistance. However, Indian officials have shown interest in developing the 300-MW Upper Karnali, which is estimated to cost US$ 500 million, said the source. The government is also proposing financial support of four billion rupees for construction and maintenance of 600 kilometers of road particularly in the hilly region, and construction of 23 bridges along the East -West highway. The construction of bridges alone is estimated to cost over one billion rupees. The request for road construction would be in addition to the 1500 km road construction in the Terai region, to which India is already committed. The visiting delegation will also request the Indian government to extend budgetary support of one billion rupees to address the liquidity problem likely to arise in the next fiscal year starting from mid-July. Likewise, the government will also request deferment of payment of huge outstanding dues by state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation to Indian Oil Corporation. The accumulated dues have crossed five billion rupees and the government wishes to convert the dues into a long-term loan, said the official. The government will also propose a waiver of Rs 1.6 billion worth of arms and ammunition dues. India had supplied arms, ammunition and military equipment worth over seven billion rupees between 2003 and 2005. The government will also request the Indian government for support in establishing a polytechnic institute in the far western region. With regard to other infrastructure development, Nepal will ask for a detailed survey of East-West railway, while India has shown interest in constructing at least one airport in the hilly districts. Likewise, the government will request the Indian government to scrap the four-percent additional duty slapped on imports from Nepal. Posted on: 2006-06-05 20:22:06 (Server Time) IF WE ASK FOR THIS KIND OF HELP THEN WHAT DO WE EXPECT ,AREN'T THEY GOING TO DICTATE HOW WE LIVE??