PM Narendra Modi flags off Delhi-Kathmandu bus service

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the New Delhi-Kathmandu bus service in Kathmandu on Tuesday. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was also present on the occasion.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) had earlier received a proposal from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for beginning the trans-national service, coinciding with Prime Minister Modi's visit to Nepal for the 18th SAARC summit. According to reports, the DTC will run a luxury volvo bus on the Delhi-Kathmandu route and the tentative one-way fare is likely to be around Rs 2,300. This service is touted as a major boost to trade and tourism and will also strengthen bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Prime Minister Modi, who arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday with an aim to inject new momentum to the SAARC during its two-day summit beginning on Wednesday, earlier in the day inaugurated the trauma centre at Kathmandu's Bir Hospital. The Prime Minister was given a warm welcome on his arrival in Kathmandu. He was given a guard of honour and a group of girls presented a cultural performance for him.

Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with South Asian heads of state and government on the margins of the two-day SAARC Summit. The Prime Minister's high-level delegation at the summit includes External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and a number of senior officials.