By IANS
Kathmandu : Nepal and India Thursday began talks here to discuss power trading between the two nations.
The two-day negotiations will focus on increasing power exchange between the two neighbours, upgrading inter-connection facilities and reviewing power tariffs, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) spokesman Dandapani Basyal told IANS.
Three border hydro-projects will also come under discussion.
The 120MW Tanakpur hydropower project on the Sharda River in India, from which Nepal receives about 10MW of electricity, will be reviewed to look at the possibility of transmitting power via new points.
The Gandak and Koshi projects, where irrigation and inundation issues are involved, are also part of the agenda. The talks will discuss repairs and other technical aspects.
The 13-member delegation from India, headed by V. Radhakrishna of Central Electricity Authority, also includes representatives from Bihar and Uttaranchal power corporations, central ministries of power and external affairs, Power Trade Corporation and Infrastructure Leasing and Finance that recently signed an MoU with NEA to build new transmission lines.
The Nepali delegation, led by Arjun Karki, managing director of NEA, also includes officials from the ministries of water resources and foreign affairs as well as Department of Electricity Development.
The delegations will discuss the possibilities of discussing the tariff for the power generated from the Koshi project.
Both sides will look at payment of power bills and how to settle them.
There were reports in Nepal's media that the Himalayan country was running up debts with India's Bihar State Electricity Board.