India-funded school building, laboratory inaugurated in Kapilvastu

The newly constructed classrooms and laboratory of Shree Gautam Buddha Secondary School in Buddhabhumi Municipality, Kapilvastu, were inaugurated on Monday. The buildings were built with the financial aid of Rs 33.23m from the government of India as part of the Nepal-India Development Cooperation. 

Prasanna Shrivastava, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu; Baburam Acharya, chief of the District Coordination Committee in Kapilvastu; and Keshav Kumar Shrestha, mayor of Buddhabhumi Municipality, jointly inaugurated the facilities. 

Local politicians, government officials, social workers, members of the school management, teachers, parents, and students also attended the event.

The financial grant from the government of India under the 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation' was utilized for constructing a double-storied school building, a three-storied laboratory building, and the procurement of furniture and laboratory equipment. This initiative, originally known as Small Development Projects and now operating as High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs), operated under an agreement between the governments of India and Nepal. The District Coordination Committee in Kapilvastu spearheaded the implementation of this project.

Shrivastava emphasized the significance of this project as an integral part of the robust development partnership between India and Nepal. He highlighted the substantial progress made in recent years across various priority sectors identified by the Nepal government. Furthermore, he reiterated the commitment of the government of India to strengthen this developmental partnership, aligning with the priorities set by the government of Nepal.

Since 2003, India has undertaken over 550 HICDPs in Nepal spanning various sectors, successfully completing 488 projects. Among these, 60 projects are situated in Lumbini Province, including five projects in Kapilvastu. Additionally, the Indian government has gifted 974 ambulances and 234 buses to hospitals, health posts, and educational institutions.