India positive to reduce tariff charged for making telephone calls: Minister Sharma

Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma has said that India is positive to reduce the tariff charged for making telephone calls from India to Nepal.

Talking to media persons upon her arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport on Friday after wrapping up the four-day official visit to India, Minister Sharma said that discussions are underway with the Indian side in this regard.

Minister Sharma shared that she held discussions to resolve the problems facing Nepalis in India. “Larger numbers of Nepalis are living in India in different contexts. There is a huge disparity in telephone tariff between Nepal and India”, the Communications Minister commented.

The minister further shared she raised this issue seriously urging Indian government to reduce tariff charge for making telephone calls at least from ‘reciprocal’ way, stating that the Indian side had taken it in positive way.

Minister Sharma said she drew attention to the fact that Indian television channels are easily broadcast in Nepal but it is difficult for Nepali TV channels to be aired in India. It is also not possible to downlink the Nepali TV channels in India due to high charges.

“Considering the huge Nepali-speaking population in India, I make a special request to facilitate the transmission of Nepali TV channels in India,” she shared.

The Communications Minister further said that an understanding was reached between Radio Nepal and Prasar Bharati to implement the past agreement of exchanging programmes.

Minister Sharma had left for India on March 21 to attend a programme regarding establishment of International Telecommunication Union Regional Office. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the office in New Delhi.