Kathmandu, Nov. 27: School and laboratory buildings of Shree Gautam Buddha Secondary School, Buddhabhumi Municipality, Kapilvastu District, built with Government of India's financial assistance of Nepalese Rupees (NRs) 33.23 million under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation', were formally inaugurated on Monday.

The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of the Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Kathmandu Prasanna Shrivastava, Chief of District Coordination Committee Kapilvastu Baburam Acharya and Mayor of Buddhabhumi Municipality Keshav Kumar Shrestha. Political representatives, government officials, social workers, representatives of the School management, teachers, parents and students were also present on this occasion, a press release said.

The Government of India grant under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation' was utilized for the construction of a double-storied school building, and a three-storied lab building and for procurement of furniture and lab equipment.

The project was taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), earlier known as Small Development Projects, under an agreement between the Government of India and the Government of Nepal. This project was implemented through the District Coordination Committee, Kapilvastu, the release also said.

Prasanna Shrivastava, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Kathmandu highlighted that the project is an important part of the very robust development partnership between India and Nepal, which has made significant progress in recent years, spanning various priority sectors of the Government of Nepal and its people. He expressed the continued commitment of the Government of India to continue to bolster the development partnership as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal, for the benefit of the peoples of both countries.

Shree Gautam Buddha Secondary School was established in 1978 as a community-based educational institution. It is affiliated with the National Examination Board and approved by the Ministry of Education.

This school offers educational programs from Play Group to 10 2 Level. Currently, this school is having the strength of students over 1200, about 52 per cent of whom are girls students, it added.

Since 2003, India has taken up over 550 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 488 projects. Amongst these, 60 Projects are in Lumbini Province in various sectors, which includes 5 projects in Kapilvastu.

In addition to these, the Government of India has gifted 974 ambulances and 234 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day of India. Amongst these, 160 Ambulances and 35 School Buses have been gifted in Lumbini Province, which includes 18 Ambulances and 4 School Buses provided in Kapilvastu District, the release also said.

As close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation.

The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in the upliftment of its people, augmenting infrastructure in the field priority sector, especially in the education sector in Nepal.