India to assist construction of sanitation facility at Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal

Kathmandu: India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide financial assistance of 37.23 million Nepali rupees for construction of a sanitation facility at Pashupatinath Area Temple Complex in Kathmandu.

The MoU was signed on Monday between the Embassy of India, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

“The project will be funded under Nepal-Bharat Maitri– Development Partnership as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP or earlier SDPs) by Government of India,” a statement from the Embassy of India in Kathmandu read.

“The project proposal was forwarded by the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) to the Embassy in October last year. Under the project, India will extend financial assistance of 37.23 million Nepali rupees for the construction of sanitation facilities for use by pilgrims and tourists to the Pashupatinath Temple. The project will be implemented by Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), in accordance with the norms laid out by the Government of Nepal,” it said.

As per the understanding, KMC has been given the authority to identify a suitable contractor through a tender process for completing the construction work in 15 months from the award of work.

Pashupatinath Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is the largest temple complex in Nepal and stretches on both sides of the Bagmati River and sees thousands of worshippers every day.

The sanitation project which was agreed to by both governments in August 2014 will complement the efforts of the Government of Nepal for the upgradation of public utilities in the Pashupati Temple Complex.

Source: ANI