Kathmandu [Nepal], April 19 (ANI): India laid out the foundation stone to build the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) in the Darchula district of Nepal on Friday.

The foundation stone for the Shree Himalaya Secondary School Building at Byas Rural Municipality-6 and Shree Janabikash Secondary School at Duhun Rural Municipality of Darchula district was laid on Friday, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu stated.

Prashant Kumar Sona, Second Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, laid the foundation stone of Shree Himalaya Secondary School and Shree Janabikash Secondary School in a ceremony, as per the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Mangal Singh Dhami, Chairperson of Byas Rural Municipality and Narendra Bahadur Singh Badal, Chairperson of Duhun Rural Municipality, accompanied Sona during the foundation stone laying ceremony.

According to the release, the building of Shree Himalaya Secondary School is being built with the Indian government's financial assistance at the tendered cost of NRs. 28.20 million.

Along with this, the building of Shree Janabikash Secondary School is being built at a project cost of NR 33.70 million, under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation'.

"The GoI grant was utilised for the construction of a school building with other facilities for Shree Janabikash Secondary School, Duhun Rural Municipality. These projects have taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), under an Agreement between Government of India and Government of Nepal," the Indian Embassy said in the release.

The projects being implemented through Byas Rural Municipality for Shree Himalaya Secondary School and Shree Janabikash Secondary School were being implemented through Duhun Rural Municipality, Darchula.

The project is an important example of the robust development partnership between India and Nepal.

Chairpersons Byas Rural Municipality and Duhun Rural Municipality, in their remarks, appreciated the continued developmental support of the Indian government in uplifting the people of Nepal in priority sectors.

The new school buildings would be useful in providing better education facilities to students of Shree Himalaya Secondary School and Shree Janabikash Secondary School in Darchula, Nepal and would create an improved environment for learning as well as contribute to the development of education in this area.

Since 2003, the Indian government has taken up over 551 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 489 projects.

Amongst these, 40 projects are in Sudurpashchim Province in various sectors, which include 10 projects in Darchula.

In addition to these, the Indian government has gifted 1009 ambulances and 300 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal on Independence Day and Republic Day.

Among these, 60 ambulances and 20 school buses have been gifted in Sudurpashchim Province, including eight ambulances and two school buses provided in Darchula District.

"As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in the upliftment of its people, augmenting infrastructure in the field of priority sectors, especiallyin the education sector in Nepal," the Indian Embassy further stated. (ANI)