Kathmandu: India will provide Rs 1.87 billion in military assistance to Nepal to increase the capabilities of the Royal Nepalese Army, Army chief general Nirmal Chandra Vij has said.

A consignment of weapons amounting to Rs 62.50 crore is also in the pipeline, the visiting Army chief said while addressing a function organised by the ex-Gurkha servicemen at the Indian pension paying office in Pokhara in West Nepal on April 24.

Saying that India will continue its support to Nepal Army in its anti-terror campaign, general Vij said it is prepared to provide any type of assistance to establish peace in Nepal.

"It is the wish of the Indian people to see stability and peace in Nepal, he said adding, "If there is no peace, it will be no good for the ex- Gurkhas also."

General Vij also announced a Rs 100 million package to execute drinking water projects in 927 villages in Nepal, where ex-Gurkhas inhabit. The project will not only benefit the ex-Gurkha servicemen, but also the other locals.

India annually distributes about Rs 400 crore pension to the 1,15,000 Gurkha ex-servicemen in Nepal through pension paying offices in Kathmandu, Dharan and Pokhara. At present over 40,000 Gurkhas are serving in the Indian Army.

The Indian Army chief later visited the pension paying office in Dharan in Eastern Nepal, where he interacted with the ex-Gurkha servicemen.

PTI