New Delhi, April 7: Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Saturday said he has come to India "with a mission" to take bilateral ties to newer heights "commensurate with the realities of the 21st Century".
In a joint address with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said his country always accorded "great importance" to its ties with India as the two neighbours have many "things to offer each other".
"Inter-dependence takes many forms between our countries. Relations between neighbours are different than others. They rest on principles of equality and justice.
"I have come to India with a mission to enhance our relations to newer heights commensurate with the realities of the 21st Century. We want to create a model relationship. A relationship that is cherished forever," Oli said.
He asserted that the future of the ties between India and Nepal lied "in the expansion of the economic facility and improving investments".
"Agriculture is one of the areas where India has made significant progress and Nepal could learn from it. The (other) key areas of development are connectivity, railways and agriculture," he said after delegation-level talks between the two sides.
He said his country had completed "a very crucial transition phase after three tiers of elections (and) during this transitional juncture, we need support and cooperation of our friends".
Oli renewed his invitation to Modi to pay a visit to Nepal at the earliest.
Oli is on a three-day visit to India -- his first foreign trip after taking charge as Nepal Prime Minister for the second time in February. The visit keeps up with the tradition of India-Nepal ties under which the prime minister always makes the first visit to India.
However, the trip comes amid a hitch in bilateral ties after Oli had to step down as Nepal Prime Minister in 2016 following a blockade on the India-Nepal border. Many in the Himalayan nation blame India for the blockade that crippled the economy of the landlocked country.
The ties were further strained after Nepal decided to join China's One Belt One Road amid India's concerns that the Chinese initiative would harm its strategic and economic interests. Nepal has also signed a host of trade and transit pacts with China.
Oli is also scheduled to visit the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology and the Breeder Seed Production Centre and an integrated farming project in Uttarakhand.
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Adequate LPG stock in Chhattisgarh, no need to panic, says CM Sai
Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
