Kathmandu, March 23 (H.S.): The U.S. government had previously suspended various economic assistance projects, including the Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) project. Now, America has instructed to continue certain parts of this project worth 55 million dollars.

MCC Nepal announced this in a statement on Sunday. In its statement, MCA Nepal indicated that the American administration has recently allowed the operation of offices in Nepal and the procurement of some materials. After Donald Trump assumed power, instructions were given to shut down all MCC projects and its office in Nepal, including USAID.

Following decisions made in an MCC meeting in the U.S., the MCC Nepal chapter has announced that their office in Kathmandu has been permitted to resume operations and advance the procurement process in the tendered projects. MCC America was constructing two international electricity transmission lines in Nepal with 55 million U.S. dollars in aid.

Spokesperson Pushkar Mathema from MCC Nepal mentioned that after the new directives, advance payments for the construction of the transmission line tenders will proceed, and the procurement process will be advanced. The results of another new tender, which had previously been issued but was halted due to the sudden decision of the U.S. government, will also be released.

MCC Nepal has signed a contract with India's Transrail company for the construction of an 18 km long transmission line. Under this agreement, signed in August 2024, an 18 km transmission line will be built from Nepal to the India border to send electricity generated in Nepal to India.

An agreement has been made between Nepal and India to send 10,000 megawatts of electricity over a period of 10 years. However, due to the lack of high-capacity transmission lines in Nepal, the agreement has not been implemented. India is cooperating to enhance the capacity of three new high-capacity transmission lines and increase the capacity of three old transmission lines.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar