PM speaks to Nepal PM Shri Sushil Koirala

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi spoke on telephone to Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri Sushil Koirala today.

Prime Minister Modi expressed sorrow at the loss of lives in the violence in Nepal and extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and the people of Nepal. Prime Minister Modi expressed concern that political and social instability would seriously compound the tragedy caused by the recent earthquake in Nepal.

Prime Minister Modi called for exercise of restraint and restoration of peace and order. He appealed to the government, all political parties and the people of Nepal to eschew violence and maintain social harmony.

He lauded the historic progress that Nepal had made in the peace process and drafting its Constitution. He reiterated the message that the political leadership of Nepal should resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue between all political parties and through the process of widest possible consultation, including with the public, so as to strengthen the climate of trust and confidence across and between all sections of society, and arrive at solutions that reflect the will and accommodate the aspirations of all citizens of a richly diverse society within a united, peaceful, stable and prosperous Nepal.

Prime Minister Modi also conveyed that, as a neighbour, India would do all it can for security in Nepal.

Prime Minister Modi assured Prime Minister Koirala that India’s one and only desire was to see the emergence of a peaceful, secure, stable, democratic and prosperous Nepal, which draws strength from its rich social diversity, enormous resources and extraordinary talent. India, he reiterated, will continue to provide all support to Nepal, in accordance with the wishes and priorities of the people of Nepal, to achieve that goal.

*****

Cheque towards PMNRF presented to PM

Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Laxmikant Parsekar today called on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and presented him a cheque worth approximately Rs. 1.9 crore towards Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Defence Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar was also present on the occasion.

****

PM reviews progress of infrastructure sectors

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on Monday evening reviewed the progress of digital infrastructure, rural infrastructure, and connectivity sectors.

The Prime Minister sought details from officials on preparations for providing electricity to all unconnected villages in the country within 1000 days, as mentioned in his Independence Day address. He directed concerned departments to monitor progress towards this goal on a real-time basis.

The Prime Minister was apprised of the status of mobile connectivity across the country. He directed officials to explore the possibility of leveraging existing resources, including railway and other communication infrastructure, to provide mobile connectivity in remote, unconnected areas. He emphasized that the targets for digital infrastructure should be synchronized with the targets for the Digital India initiative.

The Prime Minister expressed serious concern over the issue of "call drops" and asked officials as to what steps were being taken to address this problem, which, he said, directly affects the common man. He directed that steps be taken urgently to resolve the problem, and also to ensure that the problems in voice connectivity do not extend to data connectivity in the future.

The Prime Minister reviewed the progress of solar energy related projects, especially with regard to railway stations and airports. He directed that work related to setting up of Railway Universities be speeded up. He also called for priority to be assigned to road links with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister said that with enough funds now being provided for infrastructure creation, the onus is on the concerned Ministries to ensure that these outlays are converted into proportionate outcomes.

Shri Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog, was present at the meeting. Senior officials from PMO, NITI Aayog, and concerned Ministries were also present.