January 8: The officials of Nepal and India reviewed issues such as power trade, implementation on hydropower projects, transmission line and cooperation between Nepal and India on bilateral energy sector during the 11th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation.    
The meeting convened in Chitwan on Saturday under the co-chairmanship of Secretary at Ministry of Energy of India, Pankaj Agrawal, and Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal, Gopal Prasad Sigdel, discussed progress made in various bilateral committees, including Joint Technical Team (JTT), according to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal.    
The meeting was held in the wake of the recently inked long-term power trade agreement between India and Nepal.    
Earlier, the 11th Joint Task Force meeting on energy sector cooperation between Nepal and India was held in Nepal, said the Indian Embassy. Both the meetings had approved the format of the cross-country energy trade through 132 KV and lower transmission lines while the Indian External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, and Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, NP Sauda, on January 4, jointly inaugurated three new cross-country transmission lines of 132 KV capacities.    
Both the ministers inaugurated the Raxaul-Parwanipur 132-KV transmission line, Kushaha-Kataiya 132-KV transmission line, Naya Nautanwa-Nautanwa-Mainahiya 132-KV transmission line.    
This would bring the total transmission capacity between India and Nepal to 1,400 megawatts.    
The recently held meeting agreed to summon the first meeting of the Joint Water Development Committee after achieving progress in the India-Nepal Joint Approach Paper issued during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's official visit to India in April last year. -- RSS