Around the time India discusses the Nepal crisis with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, India’s envoy to Kathmandu Shiv Shankar Mukherjee will be in New Delhi for consultations. But Mukherjee, sources said, will also have other pressing concerns in mind when he reaches here on Wednesday.It’s learnt that the Indian envoy has not been given an audience with King Gyanendra ever since his return from India following the first round of consultations exactly a month ago. The King gave him an audience on February 9 for the first time after seizing power. But that was also the last meeting between the two.Mukherjee reached Kathmandu on February 20 after detailed consultations here and is believed to have put in a request for an audience. Despite repeated reminders, the meeting has not materialised much to the New Delhi’s discomfiture. In fact, this was also pointed out to Nepal Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey during his recent visit.Besides this, Mukherjee will provide an update on the overall situation in Nepal. The Maoist-sponsored blockade, meanwhile, came into effect today.
