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IFRTD members meet the Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal
2009-10-28
The seventh annual meeting of IFRTD’s Asia and Pacific Region was held in Kathmandu from 9th to 11th September 2009. The meeting was jointly hosted by IFRTD and the Nepal Forum for Rural Transport and Development.
An important feature of this year’s meeting was the profound interest shown in the event by Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal, the Prime Minister of Nepal, who invited participants of the event for a special audience. On 12th September 2009, an IFRTD delegation comprising Danang Parikesit (IFRTD Chairman), Heng Kackada (CNCTP Cambodia), Upali Pannilage (Practical Action South Asia), Abdul Shakoor Sindh (NFTD Pakistan), Neeraj Shah, (NFRTD Chairman), and Saroj Kumar Upadhyay (NFRTD) met the Prime Minister at his official residence.
Danang Parikesit briefed the Prime Minister about IFRTD’s mission, objectives and how we work. He also highlighted the major outcomes of the Nepal meeting. The Prime Minister discussed with the delegation the major transport issues and challenges being faced especially in the rural areas of Nepal. Responding to a question about his government’s key development priorities, the Prime Minister counted three major priorities. He said that the first priority is the exploitation of the huge water resources of the country for hydro power projects as Nepal holds a potential of generating more than 100,000 mega watt of electricity from these sources. The second priority is to develop the country as a major tourist destination, while the third one is to develop new transport corridors linking all parts of the country. The delegation highlighted the importance of transport, and rural transport in particular, in the fulfilment of these priorities. The Prime Minister expressed his support for networks such as IFRTD that can facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience and build human capacities on issues relating to rural access and mobility.
