Top World Bank (WB) officials have said that the bank would soon provide Nepal new aid worth US$127 million to ensure the success of the ongoing peace process. Talking to media persons at the end of a four-day visit to Nepal on Tuesday, Michel Mordasini said that the bank is ready to extend all possible assistance and cooperation to the country but it will depend on the "level of implementation" and continuation of peace process. Of the total aid amount, near about US$ 50 million will be spent on salaries to Maoist combatants kept in UN monitored cantonments. The aid package will also support health and rural drinking water projects. The proposed aid will be in addition to US $ 252 million that the bank has already announced, Mordasini said and added that the new assistance proposal will go to the WB board for final approval on 6th May. During their stay in Nepal, the team comprising 11 out of the 24 WB board directors held discussions with the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, leaders of political parties and civil society members and expressed confidence on the new changes that have arrived in Nepal. The team had also met Maoist chairman Prachanda and his deputy Dr Baburam Bhattarai Tuesday morning. Mordasini said that they had a very constructive and fruitful dialogue with Maoist chairman Prachanda on the prospects of mutual cooperation in areas like sustaining peace, accelerating development pace, climate change, promoting hydropower, creating jobs and improving basic services. "The World Bank is an apolitical institution and the actual volume of assistance will depend upon progress made on the ground," Mordasini said while clearing doubts as to whether it will continue to support Nepal's development efforts even after the Maoists, who are still tagged as a terrorist organization by the US government, come to power. nepalnews.com ag Apr 30 08