Day: April 19, 2024

Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party (NWPP) Chairperson Narayan Man Bijukchhe has said the local government is the foundation of democracy. The local level should be made powerful to strengthen democracy, Bijukchhe said shedding light on his book "Bhaktapur after 100 Years" at a programme organized on Thursday on the occasion of the 42nd World Heritage Day. Bijukchhe's book delves into the cultural heritages and their preservation. On the occasion, he argued that the new generation should be encouraged to work honestly for the development of Bhaktapur city. The ancient buildings are the identity of the town and the municipality should promote the construction of buildings that replicate the design and style of the ancient buildings. Also speaking at the event, Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality Sunil Prajapati appreciated the book saying that it has a forecast of Bhaktapur city after 100 years. Likewise, the Director General of the Department of Archeology, Saubhagya Pradhananga, the book has contributed to preserving the unique features of Bhaktapur city. She added that the farsightedness and imagination of the writer would serve as a master plan for the development of a city for the new generation. Historian Bishowmohan Joshi, Chairman of Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee Dipesh Raj Sharma and other speakers shared their views on the relevance of Bijukchhe's book. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: A foundation stone was laid on Friday for the construction of Shree Himalaya Secondary School Building at Byas rural municipality-6, Darchula. The project is funded by the Government of India and its tender cost amounts to Rs.28.20 million. The ceremony was held in the presence of Mangal Singh Dhami, Chairperson, Byas rural municipality and Shri Prashant Kumar Sona, Second Secretary, Embassy of India, Kathmandu. Further, Narendra Bahadur Singh Badal, Chairperson of Duhun rural municipality, and Shri Prashant Kumar Sona, second secretary, Embassy of India, Kathmandu jointly inaugurated the School building of Shree Janabikash Secondary School at Duhun, built at project cost of Rs 33.70 million, under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation'. Political representatives, government officials, social workers, representatives of the school management, teachers, parents, and students were also present on this occasion. As the Embassy says in a press release, grants under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation ', will be utilized for the construction of double double-storied school building, toilet block, boundary wall, and entry gate with other facilities for Shree Himalaya Secondary School at Byas. Since 2003, the Government of India has taken up over 551 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 489 projects. Amongst these, 40 projects are in Sudurpashchim Province in various sectors, which include 10 projects in Darchula. Source: National News Agency RSS

A session of the Gandaki Province Assembly (PA) has been adjourned for an indefinite period after the main opposition Nepali Congress decided to boycott the session. The meeting was announced to be put off until further notice after the wrangling between ruling and the opposition parties. Speaker Krishna Prasad Dhital announced the postponement just six minutes after the session began. In the session, Minister without portfolio, Hari Bahadur Chuman, was scheduled to present a bill on the management of pesticides usage. As the Speaker said, the session was postponed until further notice as PA members from the Nepali Congress and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) were absent. Earlier, the NC concluded that it was non-constitutional to summon the PA session when the Supreme Court ordered it not to make any decisions of long-term impact except the regular operation of the PA. in the meeting, a letter about the summoning of the session by Province Chief Dilliraj Bhatta was read out. It also expressed its con cern before the Speaker about the summoning of the session, terming the formation of a new government, and the summoning of the session non-constitutional. NC Chief Whip for the province Nanda Prasad Neupane said the party would not make a presence in the session summoned ignoring the SC interim order, the Constitution, and legal provisions. As the party said, it is awaiting the final verdict from the Court before considering attending the session. The party's understanding is that it is faulty by the Constitution and against the parliamentary practices to operate the House session when the case is under sub-judice in the court. Source: National News Agency RSS

A session of the Gandaki Province Assembly (PA) has been adjourned for an indefinite period after the main opposition Nepali Congress decided to boycott the session. The meeting was announced to be put off until further notice after the wrangling between ruling and the opposition parties. Speaker Krishna Prasad Dhital announced the postponement just six minutes after the session began. In the session, Minister without portfolio, Hari Bahadur Chuman, was scheduled to present a bill on the management of pesticides usage. As the Speaker said, the session was postponed until further notice as PA members from the Nepali Congress and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) were absent. Earlier, the NC concluded that it was non-constitutional to summon the PA session when the Supreme Court ordered it not to make any decisions of long-term impact except the regular operation of the PA. in the meeting, a letter about the summoning of the session by Province Chief Dilliraj Bhatta was read out. It also expressed its con cern before the Speaker about the summoning of the session, terming the formation of a new government, and the summoning of the session non-constitutional. NC Chief Whip for the province Nanda Prasad Neupane said the party would not make a presence in the session summoned ignoring the SC interim order, the Constitution, and legal provisions. As the party said, it is awaiting the final verdict from the Court before considering attending the session. The party's understanding is that it is faulty by the Constitution and against the parliamentary practices to operate the House session when the case is under sub-judice in the court. Source: National News Agency RSS

Acting chief of Rajbiraj municipality, Isarat Parwin said he was ready to collaborate with the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS). In a face-to-face meeting with RSS executive chair Dharmendra Jha at Rajbiraj municipality in Saptari today, he said it was a matter of pride for the RSS having its building in Rajbiraj. Acting chief Parwin expressed his commitment to provide technical and financial assistance for the up-gradation of the office building of RSS, the state-owned source of authentic news and information. "I am confident that the RSS would play crucial role in making the service delivery effective by disseminating the development works carried out by local level", the acting chief said, RSS chair Jha urged local governments, including Rajbiraj municipality to support RSS groundwork for dissemination of news in Maithili language. Also today, the RSS Rajbiraj office has obtained its land ownership certificate. It had not possessed the land ownership certificate though the office has been operational h ere since long. Chief District Office Kiran Thapa handed over the land ownership certificate to RSS chair Jha . Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: A woman was arrested with gold weighing around 850 grams from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Friday. The arrestee was Sahina Prabhin from India who landed at TIA via the Thai Airlines flight TG 319. According to TIA Security Office chief senior superintendent of police, Krishnahari Sharma, the contraband was found hiding the precious yellow metal inside her inner garments. Earlier on Thursday, police had seized unattended gold weighing 1 kilogram 70 grams from the airport. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: An agreement in principle has been reached for the financial management of the proposed 1063-megawatt Upper Arun Semi-Reservoir Hydropower project in Sankhuwasabha district. According to the Ministry of Finance, such development took place during talks between Finance Minister Barshaman Pun and the World Bank's high-level leadership in Washington DC. Presently, the Finance Minister is in the United States of America to attend a joint session of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During a meeting held between the Finance Minister and WB's Vice President Martin Raiser (for South Asia), the two discussed the WB-funded projects in Nepal and the proposed Upper Arun. The meeting focused on accelerating other WB-assisted projects in Nepal. The two also exchanged views on increasing the facilities from the International Development Association (IDA) under the World Bank Group meant for Nepal and the diversification of projects. According to joint-secretary at Ministry of Finance Shree Krishna Nepal, one of the members of the visiting delegation, the World Bank will take the lead in the financial management of the Upper Arun project based on the agreement in principle. The agreement will be formalized once the Government of Nepal endorses it It has been prepared to secure a 70 percent loan investment for the project for the WB's co-financing while the remaining 30 will be managed from the equity funds. The total cost of the project is yet to be determined. Regarding preparatory works for the project, there has been some progress in the construction of a two-kilometer tunnel way and the 21-kilometer approach road. The Ministry stated that the land acquisition and compensation distribution process for affected parties are nearing completion. Meanwhile, the Finance Minister and US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Executive Officer, Scott Nathan, held a meeting on Friday. On the occasion, the Minister said the Nepal Government is committed to creating an atmo sphere capable of promoting foreign investment at home. He talked about the government's policy of recognizing and treating the private sector as a development partner and pledged to remove legal, procedural, and administrative hurdles to facilitate investment. He appealed to the US investors to explore opportunities in Nepal. The DFC partnership with Nepal amounts to 2.27 million US dollars, including the loan for the private sector and equity. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The latest result of snow leopard survey has been made public today. According to the result, a significant number of snow leopards were counted outside the conserved areas of Dolpa. A systematic camera tap survey conducted during five months from April through August 2023 had confirmed the number of snow leopards in eastern Dolpa area outside the Shey-Phoksundo National Park. The survey undertaken with support from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal estimated the snow leopard density to be 1.5 per 100 square kilometres. It has thus been confirmed that there are 30 snow leopards in the study area. A similar survey conducted four years ago inside the park had estimated the density of leopards to be 2.2 per 100 square kilometers. On this basis, 90 snow leopards were confirmed in the conserved area. With this, the total number of snow leopard in Dolpa has increased to 120. It is the highest number of snow leopard in Nepal, the survey result stated. Snow leopards are rare, endangered and protecte d wildlife found in high mountainous environment. Source: National News Agency RSS

An elderly woman from Kumerdung of Biruwa rural municipality-7 in the district died while extinguishing fire in her field. Reusari Gurung, 74, was burnt after she caught fire as she was trying to douse the fire that spread to forest from the field. She was burning tree leaves and scraps to prepare the field for millet cultivation. Information to this was shared by Deputy Superintendent of Police in the district, Indra Bahadur Rana. She died on the spot. Investigation is underway for further information, the police added. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has spoken about the need to promote cooperation between the public and private sectors to increase citizens' access to information technology. During her meeting with a delegation from the Nepal Association for Software and IT Services Companies (NAS-IT) on Friday, the Minister said such cooperation is vital to enhance the use of communications and information technology for transforming the country digitally. As the Minister asserted, citizens should be made widely aware of the IT innovation and the significance of its use in daily life. "Its use should be for simplifying our life." According to the government Spokesperson, only a handful of people who represent the technical sphere well understand the significance of communications and information technology and the remaining population will consider themselves just consumers. Escalation of IT to the mass is essential because IT is not merely a geek business, Sharma underli ned. She also utilised the time to say the government is committed to implementing the concept of the Digital Nepal Framework with the greater realization that communications and information technology are pillars of good governance and prosperity. She vowed the amendment of laws for spurring investment in communications and IT sector. Government-private sector collaboration is imperative to enhance IT and prosper country, the Minister reminded. On the occasion, lawmaker Manish Jha stressed expansion of IT at the community level and schools so that it would be developed as a competitive sector. Millions of youths could be ensured jobs with IT knowledge and skills by introducing IT at schools where local and province governments can play significant roles. Other speakers at the programme spoke the need for integrated data centre at local level, legal provisions to allow the establishment of foreign branches of Nepali IT companies, prioritization of IT industry, startups and investment, the establishment of IT board to ensure one-door system on IT activities, priority to national IT products in government services and IT park and hub. The government could purchase software produced by the Nepali IT companies, according to them. Source: National News Agency RSS

A resolution motion has been endorsed in the meeting of the Koshi province assembly today. A majority of members passed the resolution motion presented by Koshi Province Assembly Speaker Ambar Bahadur Bista seeking consideration. In line with the Rule 70 (1) (C) of the Province Assembly Regulations, 2074 BS (first amendment), CPN (UML)'s parliamentary party chief whip Rebatiraman Bhandari on Thursday had presented the resolution motion at the province assembly. The Speaker had presented the motion for decision adopting vote division procedure. The motion was endorsed by 52 members in the province assembly. Seconding the resolution motion, province assembly members, Indra Bahadur Angbo, Narayan Bahadur Magar, Gombu Sherpa, Geeta Timilsina, Sapana Darjee, Leelaballav Adhikari, Kamala Darnal, Bidur Kumar Lingthep, Tilachan Pathak and Nirmala Limbu said the chief minister should open up avenues for solution or take vote of confidence in the assembly. In course of the discussion, CPN (Unified Socialist)'s Ko shi province parliamentary party leader Rajendra Kumar Rai said the chief minister should take vote of confidence by 30 days in compliance with the Constitution. Nepali Congress province assembly members Khagena Singh Hangam and Binod Rai urged the proposers to withdraw the resolution motion and come up with another motion for the development, prosperity and poverty alleviation in the province. Responding to the concerns raised in the discussion, chief minister Karki said he had obtained the trust of 86 members in the province assembly. He obtained the vote of confidence by completing the process. Recalling that he had prevented the dissolution of the province assembly to avert constitutional crisis and give political outlet, CM Karki urged the proposers to withdraw the motion as the province government had performed in favour of the people in short span of time. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: People's representatives from Madi municipality of Chitwan met Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and made him aware of the problems facing development works in Madi Valley. They requested PM Dahal for his special initiatives to resolve the problems. Meeting the PM at his office Singha Durbar today, the Madi delegation sought his cooperation in solving electricity problems and elevating people's life standard. Mayor at Madi municipality, Tara Kumari Kaji Mahato, informed PM Dahal that Madi was in darkness owing to disruption of electricity for four days. Even the drinking water is in short supply, she informed. According to her, development activities are slowed down. "When you were people's representative from Chitwan-3, people were in high spirit. Development works had begun. But they are in shambles now. Madi people are in distress after you left Chitwan," Mahato reminded. She further said laying down of electric wire is not completed for long, causing sheer inconvenience to the pe ople. It needs immediate address. In response, PM Dahal directed the chiefs of concerned government agencies to pay heed to the problems facing Madi people. Ministry of Forest and the Electricity Authority must be serious to address problems, he underlined. The PM also viewed people's interests must be served and environment protected. He suggested the Forest Ministry to hold discussion with UNESCO regarding the problems Madi people were fading due to national park. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Dipak Karki; lawmaker Ganga Belbase, and Executive Director at Nepal Electricity Authority, Kulman Ghising, among others. Source: National News Agency RSS