Kathmandu, June 12 (IANS) Construction of two separate hospitals and school buildings in Nepal’s western Humla and Kailali district began in the last two days with Indian financial assistance, the Indian Embassy in Nepal said on Friday.
They are parts of the continued Indian assistance to develop essential social infrastructure in the country under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) programme, a development initiative of the Indian government for Nepal.
On Friday, the foundation stone for the construction of the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Hospital Building at Chankheli Rural Municipality in Humla district was laid, according to a statement issued by the Embassy.
The project marks the third HICDP implemented in the remote mountain district of Humla, reflecting continued development cooperation between Nepal and India at the grassroots level.
Earlier, the Indian government had extended grant assistance for the construction of a library building within the premises of Shree Saraswati Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Sarkegad area and a laboratory-cum-library building at Shree Mahadev Higher Secondary School in Chankheli-Darma area of the district.
Officials said the new hospital building is expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to medical services for local residents in the district.
In addition to infrastructure support, the Government of India had organised a study tour to India in July 2024 for a 10-member delegation comprising elected representatives from the rural municipalities of Chankheli, Sarkegad and Simikot in Humla district.
On Thursday, the foundation stone for the construction of a new building for Shree Janajyoti Secondary School was laid at the Sannitriveni Rural Municipality of Kalikot district.
The school building will be constructed with financial assistance from the Indian government amounting to approximately NPR 93 million under HICDP programme. This is the first HICDP in Kalikot district of Nepal, the embassy said.
The HICDP programme is one of the key components of Nepal-India development cooperation, supporting projects in sectors such as education, health, community infrastructure and capacity building across Nepal.
Launched in 2003, HICDPs were previously known as Small Development Projects. The initiative supports small-scale infrastructure and community-based projects across Nepal through local authorities, focusing on priority sectors identified by the Government of Nepal, including health, education, drinking water, sanitation and drainage, rural electrification, hydropower, and river training works.
According to the embassy, nearly 600 HICDP projects have been undertaken by India across Nepal’s seven provinces and 74 districts since the programme’s inception.
The Government of India has also provided 56 ambulances and 14 school buses to institutions in comparatively backward Karnali Province, including four ambulances and two school buses in Kalikot district.
–IANS
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