After over four months, Indian news channels finally made a comeback in Nepal as King Gyanendra headed for an international conference in Doha. 

The popular Aaj Tak, Zee News, Star News and Doordarshan News are being aired since Saturday night.

A leading cable operator here told IANS that the channels reappeared reportedly following a cabinet decision.

The channels were back on air 48 hours before the three-day summit of G-77 countries that kicks off in Doha Tuesday. It will be preceded by a meeting of foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Monday.

Indian news channels, especially the private ones, had been taken off the air by Nepal's cable TV operators after Gyanendra's royal coup of Feb 1.

The Indian media, which has been highly critical of the takeover, had been the cause of much heartburn for the new regime as well as the security forces.

Indian channels, enjoying high popularity in Nepal, went off the air after they broadcast a statement by Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran that New Delhi decided to boycott the SAARC summit in Dhaka in February to show its concern over the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh and the Nepal takeover.

Though the king lifted the state of emergency in April after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Jakarta, curbs on the media remain in the Himalayan kingdom.

Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh will attend the Doha summit, as will his Nepal counterpart Ramesh Nath Pandey.

The Indian government has been consistently urging Nepal's new government to restore multi-party democracy and lift all curbs on the media, including the Indian media.

Despite the lifting of the curbs, Nepal1 - the news and entertainment channel in Nepalese headed by Indian Nalini Singh is yet to make a comeback.

The channel rubbed the army the wrong way during its coverage of an ambush by Maoists during which the rebels took some security personnel hostage. Though one of them was released, at least two hostages were killed.

The army has alleged the Nepal1 reporter collaborated with the Maoists. The channel denied the allegation.

Nepal1 staff told IANS Sunday they were hopeful the government would allow their channel to resume telecast.