Kathmandu, July 14 (IANS) The construction of a monastery in Likhu Pike Rural Municipality in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district began on Tuesday with financial assistance from the Indian government, the Indian Embassy said in a statement.
Likhu Pike Rural Municipality Chairperson Mina Karki Basnet and Ajay Kumar Singh, Second Secretary at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, jointly laid the foundation stone for the Ngagyur Nyingma Palyul Dhongag Chholing Monastery in the rural municipality.
According to the Embassy, the monastery building is being constructed with financial assistance of around NPR 33 million from the Indian government under its High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) programme.
The project will be implemented through Likhu Pike Rural Municipality and is the sixth HICDP supported by India in Solukhumbu district.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairperson Basnet and other local stakeholders appreciated India’s continued development assistance and expressed confidence that the new monastery infrastructure would help preserve the area’s rich cultural and religious heritage.
The Indian Embassy said the project reflects the close development partnership between Nepal and India and aims to strengthen local infrastructure while supporting the Nepal government’s efforts to promote growth and development in priority sectors.
India has been implementing HICDPs across Nepal in areas such as education, health, culture, drinking water, roads and community infrastructure as part of its development cooperation with Nepal.
A key component of the India-Nepal development partnership, the HICDP programme was launched in 2003 to support grassroots development through local authorities.
The programme focuses on priority sectors identified by the Nepal government, including health, education, drinking water, sanitation and drainage, rural electrification, hydropower, embankment and river training.
The year 2023 marked two decades of the HICDP programme in Nepal.
According to the Indian Embassy’s website, India has undertaken 598 HICDPs across the country with a total investment of about NPR 15.83 billion (Rs 1,583 crore). Of these, 308 projects are in the education sector, including the construction of 221 school buildings.
The scope of the programme was further expanded in January 2024 when India and Nepal signed a new agreement increasing the maximum financial assistance for each HICDP from NPR 50 million to NPR 200 million.
–IANS
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