Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is set to embark on a state visit to India on Thursday with a jumbo team and a slew of agendas—some new ones and some old.

One of the key agendas of his visit will be to seek financial support to plug the funding gaps for providing housing aid to earthquake victims.

India had earlier announced $1 billion as soft loan and grant for Nepal’s reconstruction efforts. Of the announced Indian aid, Nepal and India had signed an agreement for utilising the grant portion during the former prime minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to the southern neighbour in February.

We have proposed to use cash from the same grant portion, and if possible, we will seek additional Indian support to plug the funding gaps, for providing relief

to quake survivors, said a minister.

During the visit, PM Dahal is likely to urge the Indian side to provide rest of the

Rs 75 billion soft loan which Nepal would spend on its own priorities.

This is high on the agenda, and during the visit, both sides will sign an agreement on the modality of using the Indian grant and soft loan of $1 billion, said the minister.

Other agendas include completing the negotiations on detailed project report of the Pancheshwor Multipurpose Project, one poly-technic

institute in PM Dahal’s home district, construction of

more cross-border transmission lines.

Construction of the Buddhist circuit joining Lumbini with key Buddhist heritage sites in India and irrigation facilities from Gandak are also priority agendas.

PM Dahal will be leading a 125-member delegation of government officials, security personals, businessmen and journalists among others to India. Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Minister for Physical infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak will accompany PM Dahal. After high-level engagements, including meetings with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, PM Dahal will return home on Sunday.