Kathmandu, Jan 29 : India on Thursday handed over more than 250 vehicles to Nepal as part of election-related assistance, as the Himalayan country prepares to hold parliamentary elections on March 5.

This marks the second tranche of election assistance to Nepal, following the handover of more than 60 double-cab pickup vehicles and other supplies on January 20.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said the Government of India will provide around 650 vehicles for the upcoming elections, which will be delivered in separate batches over the next few weeks.

The Embassyâ??s Charge dâ??Affaires, Rakesh Pandey, handed over the vehicles to the Government of Nepal at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance in the presence of Finance Minister Rameshore Prasad Khanal. The supplies form part of the assistance sought by the Nepali government in connection with preparations for the upcoming elections.

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Khanal lauded the assistance provided by India, stating that it would play an important role in ensuring the success of Nepalâ??s democratic process.

â??If the Nepal government had to procure these materials on its own, it would have required a significant expenditure from the state coffers at a time when the country is facing resource constraints,â?? he said. â??Whenever Nepal has faced a crisis, India has always stood as the first responder â?? whether during the devastating earthquake of 2015 or now, on the eve of the elections.â??

Describing India as a reliable development partner, Khanal thanked the Indian government and people for their support and highlighted its significance in the preparations for the upcoming polls. Based on requests from the Nepali government, the southern neighbour has been providing election-related assistance to Nepal since 2008, when the first Constituent Assembly elections were held.

At a time when hundreds of government-owned vehicles were destroyed during the Gen-Z protests in September last year, the delivery of vehicles by the Indian government is expected to help ease logistical constraints faced by the Nepali government.

A government-formed committee tasked with assessing the damage caused during the protests found that as many as 8,430 government-owned vehicles were damaged.

â??The ongoing cooperation and support from the Indian side is not only an apt reflection of the multifaceted and multisectoral development partnership between the two countries,â?? the embassy said, â??but also symbolizes the deep mutual trust and friendship between the people of India and Nepal.â??

/IANS