Modi inaugurates 400-bed dharamshala

Kathmandhu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated a 400-bed Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharamshala - a rest house for pilgrims - built here with Rs 14 crore Indian assistance.

"I am glad to inaugurate the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharamshala in Kathmandu," Prime Minister Modi said as he handed over the rest house to the Pashupati Area Development Trust. The Dharmshala at the Pashupati Temple Area Complex has provision for family rooms, kitchen, dining hall, library and some multipurpose halls to meet the requirements of the travellers and families on pilgrimage to Pashupatinath Temple - located on the banks of the Bagmati River.

India, Nepal sign railway line survey agreement In what can be seen as a major boost to regional connectivity, India and Nepal on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey of the proposed Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart K P Sharma Oli agreed to foster bilateral ties.

The MoU is the first step forward in the ambitious rail connectivity initiative between the two countries announced in April this year. Besides this, India is also considering five other cross-border railway lines with Nepal to ease connectivity and boost bilateral trade.