Nepal eyes Indian investment

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">KATHMANDU: Nepal is actively looking for Indian investment for promoting employment, according to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. <br /><br />Deuba said during his visit to India, scheduled for this month, he will invite Indian businesses to invest in primarily hydro power and agro sectors, which have huge potentials.<br /><br />The Confederation of Nepalese Industries, a leading industrial body of Nepal, is in talks with PTC and NHPC to invest in hydro sectors.A headway was expected at the global business summit which was cancelled.<br /><br />Deuba said his government was ready to provide necessary security support to the local businesses, including Indian ones, amid the threat of insurgency from Maoist rebels and the current unrest. "We are willing to provide all kind of security support to businesses, including deployment of military personnel on factory premises, to generate a sense of comfort among firms," he added.<br /><br />Deuba also claimed that despite his repeated offers, the companies refused to deploy army personnel in factory premises, which led to the bombing of the factory of Nepal Lever by a Maoist rebel group.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><br /><br />The PM wants Nepalese business organisations like CNI to be in constant touch with their counterparts in India to attract Indian investment for fuelling GDP growth in Nepal, which is currently hovering around 3.5 per cent. According to CNI, industry in Nepal hopes to touch a 4 per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal.<br /><br />He ruled out third-party involvement in talks with Maoist rebels. Curfew continued, following Wednesday''s violence. It was relaxed for 3 hours in morning and 2 hours in evening.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Flights remain grounded</span><br /><br />Air operations between India and Nepal resumed for a few hours on Thursday, only to be grounded again as reports of violence in western Nepal spread. IA was the only carrier to operate two flights between the two neighbours. <br /><br />Jet Airways cancelled its daily operation between Delhi and Kathmandu. Nepal''s national carrier Royal Nepal also halted its operations to India in view of curfew.<br /><br />(This correspondent is in Nepal at Confederation of Nepalese Industries'' invitation.)<br /></div> </div>