'Nepal is fortunate to have neighbours like India': Foreign Minister Saud

Sep 07, 2023

Kathmandu [Nepal], September 7 : Nepal's Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud on Wednesday said that the country was fortunate to have neighbours like India. 
At the inauguration of the Himalaya Kiran Public Campus building, which was built with the help of India's financial assistance, Saud in his remarks noted that "it was a matter of pride and Nepal was fortunate to have neighbours like India who have contributed to the development of Nepal and its people," according to the statement released by India's embassy in Nepal.
The campus building was inaugurated by the country's Foreign Minister and Indian ambassador Naveen Srivastava.
The project was implemented under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation,' as a high-impact community development project under an agreement between India and the Nepal government, at the cost of Nepal Rupees (NRs) 37.40 million.
At the event, the Foreign Minister further added that this developmental project was particularly important as it would ensure education for generations of Nepali students and help them in their future careers. 
The scope of work included the construction of a triple-storied campus building with classrooms, a science lab, a computer, library rooms, a meeting hall and many more.
At the event, India's Ambassador Srivastava highlighted that this project is an important part of the very robust development partnership between India and Nepal, which has made significant strides in recent years, spanning various priority sectors of the Government of Nepal and its people.
He expressed the continued commitment of the Government of India to continue to bolster the development partnership as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal, for the benefit of the peoples of both countries.
According to the statement, Himalaya Kiran Public Campus was established in 1949 as Himalaya Middle School. In 2005, the school was upgraded to conduct degree courses by naming as Himalaya Kiran Public Campus.
This campus has the strength of more than 600 students of which 60 per cent are girls. This campus is offering the course of Bachelor in Management and Education, and Master in Education programmes at present. Since its inception, the college has achieved remarkable success in terms of quality education. 
Since 2003, India has taken up nearly 550 High Impact Community Development Projects in Nepal, of which 483 projects have been completed. Amongst these, 84 Projects are in Koshi Province spanning various sectors. In addition to these, the Government of India has gifted 974 ambulances and 234 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day of India. Amongst these, 13 ambulances and 3 School Buses in Sankhuwasabha, to date, including one School bus provided to this Campus recently in July 2023.
The project is a reflection of India’s development partnership with Nepal and complements the efforts of the Government of Nepal in augmenting infrastructure in the field of education in Nepal, as per the statement.