Nepal PM arrives in India on 3-day visit

Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli on Friday arrived in India on a three-day state visit.

The visiting dignitary was received by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State (MoS) for Finance S.P. Shukla.

The Nepal prime minister is accompanied by his wife, Radhika Shakya, and an entourage of ministers, MPs, secretaries and other high-ranking officials of the Nepal Government.

He is scheduled to hold discussions with the top leadership of India upon issues including the previously signed treaties among Nepal and India and further make updates on the issues that require attention.

Later, he will visit Pantnagar in Uttarakhand and attend a program organised at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology.

The three-day state visit comes amid speculation of Nepal clinging to China after the alliance of leftist parties gained a two-thirds majority in the marathon elections held in 2017.

With the visit of Oli, federal Nepal's first prime minister, the hopes among the people have gone up.

"We should have friendly relationship between the citizens of the two nations. I would like to suggest the ground-level relations with the Indians and their Nepali counterparts," Ram Sapkota, a resident of Kathmandu, told reporters.

Nepal and India have signed a number of treaties over the years. Many are stalled or are facing demands to be amended.

With the Nepali PM's visit to India, people have demanded the swift implementation of the previous treaties.

"He should not sign or go for new treaties during his visit. He should do research over them (treaties) while signing. The previous treaties, which are sealed, should be revised and implemented for the benefit of Nepal," Pushpa Thapaliya, a post-graduate student in the Nepali capital, stressed.

During his three-day visit to India, Oli will be holding meetings with the Nepali business community in both nations on Friday, followed by a diplomatic reception.

On the second day of his visit, Oli will attend a ceremonial reception and inspect the guard of honour at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and will meet Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. He will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

"On the same day (April 7), The Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister will hold official meeting with His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. The Prime Minister of India will host a Banquet Luncheon in honour of the Prime Minister of Nepal and his delegation. External Affairs Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Home Affairs of the Government of India will call on The Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister. Senior Political Leaders from India will also call on Rt. Hon'ble Prime Minister of Nepal," the Nepal Embassy said in a statement.

While briefing the House of Representatives in Kathmandu on March 3, Oli assured that he will not take any such steps that shall develop the feeling of disparity between the two nations.

PM Oli, who will be returning to Nepal on Sunday evening, is expected to head to China next week to attend a summit. However, an official announcement is awaited.