Kathmandu: As part of commemorating 20 years of successful implementation of the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal, with the grant assistance of the Government of India, the Embassy of India formally handed over the Mangaladevi Birthing (Maternity) Centre at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Kathmandu, to the hospital representatives, the Embassy of India in Nepal informed in a press release.

The project was jointly handed over by Finance Nepal's Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, Nepal's Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Anita Devi and Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava. Political representatives, officials of the Nepali government, social workers and local community leaders were also present at the event.

Further, agreements for three more HICDP projects being undertaken in Nepal under Indian grant assistance at a total estimated cost of Nepali rupee 130 million in the Baitadi and Mustang districts were also signed on the occasion, the release also said.

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital is one of the most prestigious medical institutions in Nepal. Mangaladevi Birthing Centre at TUTH has been built with the Government of India's financial assistance of Nepali rupee 44.04 million as an HICDP under the Nepal-India Development Cooperation framework.

In addition, 2 sets of 40 KVA diesel generators, 5 buses and 2 ambulances have been provided to different departments, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, for this hospital, where 1 ambulance is fully equipped with advanced life support. TUTH representatives said that this birthing center is being managed by nurses and could function as the model birthing centre for implementation in other regions across Nepal, which could result in reduced maternal mortality rates.

HICDPs, earlier known as Small Development Projects, were launched on November 7, 2003, through a bilateral agreement between the Government of Nepal and the Government of India regarding India's Grant Assistance for the Implementation of Small Development Projects (ISDPs) through Nepali entities working at a local level, it added.

These projects are an innovative and important segment of the Development Partnership with Nepal and are being implemented in the priority sectors of the Government of Nepal for creating infrastructure to enhance the quality of life at the grassroots level for the people of Nepal.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Srivastava highlighted that this journey of implementation of HICDP projects over the past 20 years has been very successful. He expressed satisfaction that since 2003, nearly 550 projects have been taken up under this framework in various sectors, including education, health, roads and bridges, river training, drinking water, electrification, irrigation, culture, social welfare, etc, which have impacted people's lives directly.

Of these, 480 projects have been completed and the remaining are ongoing. This success translates into over 27 projects every year or simply more than 1 new project being implemented every fortnight in Nepal under the Nepal-India Development Cooperation over the last 20 years, according to the Indian embassy in Nepal.

The Ambassador thanked Nepal for its support in this regard and committed to further enhancing and strengthening the implementation of HICDPs in the future. These HICDPs have been diverse in sector and geographical spread. It covers all the provinces of Nepal. 84 projects have been undertaken in Koshi Province, 81 projects in Madhesh Province, 105 projects in Bagmanti Province, 61 projects in Gandaki Province, 60 projects in Lumbini Province, 14 in Karnali Province and 41 in Sudurpaschim Province. These are apart from 107 projects that spread in more than one province.

Finance Minister Mahat thanked India for its continuous support in the creation of development infrastructure in Nepal. He highlighted that HICDP projects are the cornerstone of the development partnership between India and Nepal. He assured the Government of Nepal of full support in the implementation of such projects that impact the livelihood of common Nepali people.

MoFAGA Minister Anita Devi highlighted that the key aspects of such projects are their quick gestation period and the role that they play in economic development at the local level. She thanked the Government of India for its support. She highlighted that HICDPs, despite being small in size, create a big impact in the lives of the common Nepali people and therefore have been appropriately described as highly impactful in bringing about changes in the community, the embassy stated.

Further, the Government of India has also gifted ambulances and school buses every year to various institutions working in the health and education sectors in Nepal on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day of India.

So far, 974 ambulances and 234 school buses have been gifted to beneficiaries in different parts of Nepal, which translates into 1 ambulance being gifted every week and 1 school bus every month. These services are placed as part of the first line of treatment and contribute significantly to the health care and education sectors. This initiative is connecting with grass-roots people, even in the remotest parts of Nepal.

A short video depicting the journey of HICDP implementation over the last 20 years was also released at the event, the embassy's release said.