Day: June 26, 2024

Kathmadu: The Dhalkebar-Inaruwa section under 400-KV Hetauda-Dalkebar-Inaruwa transmission line has come into operation to make electricity transmission system trustworthy and expand electricity between Nepal and India. The 154-kilometer transmission line from Dhalkebar of Dhanusha to Inaruwa sub-station at Bhokraha Narsingh rural municipality-4 of Sunsari was brought into operations. With Dhalkebar-Inaruwa section coming into operation, electricity transmission from 400-KV has started for the first time in the country. Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Kulman Ghising said operation of Dhalkebar-Inaruwa section has become a significant achievement to make overall transmission line of the country of quality and reliable and to increase power trade between Nepal and India. The transmission line can transmit around 4,000 megawatt electricity. Construction of 288 kilometer Hetauda-Dalkebar-Inaruwa had started dividing it into two sections. The 134-kilometer Hetauda-Dhalkebar section is u nder construction. Source: National News Agency Nepal

The government today extended the tenure of the service of ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division for another one year. ABM Amin Ullah Nuri has been reappointed as the secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division on contractual basis in continuation of his previous contact with the government and under the same conditions from July 1, 2024 or from the day of the his joining to the office, a public administration order today said. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: The National Human Rights Commission has urged one and all not to involve in the inhuman and criminal acts like perpetrating torture to the people. Spokesperson of the Commission Dr Tikaram Pokharel issued a press release today on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (June 26) and urged all the concerned sides to fully ensure access to justice for torture survivors. "The International Convention Against Torture, 1984 to which Nepal is a party, mentions torture as a crime against humanity", reads the statement. "Despite national and international instruments in place, complaints received to the commission in recent days and monitoring works of the commission also do not seem to have ended the practice of torture in Nepal", it is stated. The commission has been monitoring and investigating into the incidents of torture. Since its establishment in Nepal, the Commission has been recommending to the government to register complaints about those who were arrested and subjected to mental and physical torture by the conflicting parties, and to monitor and investigate those incidents. Out of the 370 torture-related complaints under consideration in the Commission this fiscal year, 55 complaints were finally settled and 22 were recommended for compensation and action. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Water levels at 21 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 83 stations recorded fall. Among the 110 monitored river stations, water levels at five stations have remained steady while rivers at three stations are flowing above the danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said here today. The Kushiyara at Amalsad and at Markuli, the Someshwari at Kalmakanda are flowing 10cm, 23cm and 1cm are flowing respectively. The Brahmaputr River is in steady state while the Jamuna River is in falling trend, which may continue in next 24 hours, the FFWC bulletin said adding the Ganges-Padma river are in falling trend, which may continue in next 48 hours. The major rivers in the North-eastern region of the country are in falling trend which may continue in the next 48 hours. Overall improvement of the flood situation in various low-lying areas of the North-eastern part of the country may continue in next 48 hours. According to the information from meteorological organizations, medium to heavy rainfall in next 48 hours is expected in the Northern and adjoining upstream parts of the country. Teesta River in that region may rise in particular time in next 48 hours, the bulletin added. Significant rainfall was recorded at some stations in different districts of Bangladesh during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today. A total of 92 mm rainfalls were recorded in Dhaka and 31 mm at Bandarban. During the last 24 hours, significant rainfalls (mm) were recorded in some states like Tripura and Sikkim of India, the bulletin added. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: President Ramchandra Paudel said the music, drama, art and culture are the integral part of society. In his address to the 'Nepal Music and Drama National Academy Award, 2080' distribution function, organized by the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama at Sheetal Niwas, today, President Paudel said identity with art and culture would be the spectacular asset of the future generation. He pointed out the need to preserve Nepal's indigenous art and cultural diversity by adding newer features. "Nepal is prosperous in natural and cultural diversities. The religion, philosophy, art and culture inherited to us by our ancestors as heritage are the identity markers of our national life", he said, adding, "It is the responsibility of today's conscious society to preserve the country's precious art and culture and bring newer dimensions to them". It is not enough for us only to take pride in the history, but we should be ever effortful to make a new history, he said that the contributions of the people worki ng in this field to preserve Nepal's cultural heritage and familiarize it to the world is unforgettable. President Paudel expressed happiness over the government's act of recognizing literary writers and artists through the Academy while noting that the tradition of acknowledging litterateurs has respected the entire culture and creative realm. He also suggested that the new generation should continue to follow the tradition of felicitating the litterateurs for their contributions. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Hit Bahadur Tamang said Nepal's diverse cultural heritage and artistic heritage would provide uniqueness in identity. "We should always be ready to preserve and promote our culture", Minister Tamang said, adding, "Therefore, the government has also paid special attention to the promotion and preservation of art, culture and literature". Six literary writers have been awarded the Nepal Music and Drama National Academy Award-2080. As informed, Harihar Sharma has been awarded in th e theatre category, Chandan Kumar Shrestha in the traditional and classical music category, Tara Thapa in the music category, Bam Bahadur Karki in the folk music category, Gopal Dewan in the drama category and Jogendra KC in the dance category. They were rewarded with Rs 100,000 each and a copper plaque. Academy Chancellor Nisha Sharma said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of the academy's auditorium is under progress and hoped for cooperation from the Tourism Minister. Source: National News Agency Nepal

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat today said that the Annual Performance Agreements (APAs) will help build public confidence in ensuring transparency and accountability of the government. "The APAs will contribute to ensure good governance. By signing these agreements, one kind of promise or commitment is being made, which are documented evidence. These agreements will help ensure more accountability," he said. The state minister said this while addressing the APA signing ceremony between the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and its 13 subordinate bodies for fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25) aimed at inspiring the organizations to perform 'result oriented' activities. Information and Broadcasting Senior Secretary Dr. Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker chaired the ceremony. Noting that the government's steps on good governance need to be circulated more among the people, Arafat said, "We want to publicize the issues of the annual performance agreements through the Ministr y of Information and Broadcasting". The publicity of the issues related to APAs will create confidence among the common people about the government's initiatives to ensure transparency and accountability, he added. Information and Broadcasting Senior Secretary Dr. Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker and chiefs of the 13 affiliated bodies of the ministry signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker said the government has a pledge to the people, which is the election manifesto. This manifesto will surely be evaluated in the annual performance agreements, which will be signed among the government offices in the next five years, he added. Besides, the SDGs, Perspective Plan and 8th Five Year Plan will also be manifested in the APAs, Humayun Kabir said, adding that highlighting government programmes, disseminating those and creating public awareness are the major responsibilities of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. These r esponsibilities should be fulfilled smoothly through annual performance, he added. Managing Director and Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Abul Kalam Azad signed the APA on behalf of the national news agency. Additional Secretary (admin) Syeda Salma Jafrin delivered the welcome address at the event while Deputy Secretary Mohammad Azizul Islam moderated it. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Participants have laid emphasis on civil society's role in advancing child-friendly local governance. An interaction focused on Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) concluded Tuesday, underscoring the commitment of various stakeholders to advance child rights and child-friendly initiatives in Nepal. At the event, various agencies and development partners also expressed their commitment to invest in and promote CFLG. The event was chaired by Suman Dahal, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MOFAGA) where Mukunda Niraula, Secretary of MOFAGA, was the Chief Guest. The programme saw participation from subject ministries, the Director of the National Planning Commission, representatives from the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, UNICEF, ILO, numerous Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and international development partners such as World Vision International Nepal, Plan International, TDH Switzerland, KDH, GNI, Good Shepherd International, SPCS N, and JCYCN, among others. On the occasion, Under Secretary of MOFAGA, Resham Kandel, provided an overview of CFLG, highlighting its inception in 2011 and its progress and challenges before and after the implementation of the federal structure. He emphasized the role of local governments in revitalizing the campaign and the significant obstacles in gathering precise data on CFLG interventions. The programme included detailed presentations covering several key areas. Presentations on laws, policies, and procedures outlined the CFLG strategy 2068, CFLG procedure 2068, and CFLG declaration procedure 2079. Discussions on implementation effects showcased contributions to infrastructure development, child rights, effective child club functions, increased awareness, budget allocations for the child sector, and human resource development. Major challenges highlighted included ensuring collaboration, technical support, sustaining popularity, ownership, and adoption by local governments in periodic planning. Simi larly, Secretary of MOFAG, Niraula, acknowledged the ongoing efforts in child rights and highlighted persistent gender discrimination issues that impede progress. He stressed the need for practical policy development and implementation to ensure equitable investment in girls' education, reaffirming the government's commitment to supporting development partners and stakeholders in amplifying the CFLG campaign. Likewise, UNICEF/ Empowered Women Prosperous Nepal (EWPN) representative Thakur Dhakal called for an integrated approach to the CFLG campaign, pledging support for the government's efforts. World Vision International emphasized the necessity of strategic endorsement by the cabinet and coordination across different government tiers. Save the Children announced plans to adopt an integrated programming approach over the next five years, aiming to meet CFLG indicators in at least 40 local governments across Madhes and Karnali provinces. The programme featured discussions on various contributions from dev elopment partners. ILO highlighted the need for a robust data management system to generate evidence on child labor and CFLG while Plan International focused on early childhood development (ECD) and education-related indicators. The Ministry of Education stressed the importance of setting intersectionality-focused indicators. Representatives from the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens shared insights on their ongoing support from development partners for children's well-being and upcoming initiatives like the Child Marriage National Strategy 2081 and the drafting of child funds. Presentations from Tilottam Poudel, President of JCYCN and Social Protection Civil Society Network (SPCSN), and Ashok Khanal, Coordinator of the Child-Friendly Local Governance National Forum, emphasized civil society's role in advancing child-friendly local governance. World Vision International representative Shyam Adhikari emphasized the necessity of strategic endorsement by the cabinet and coordination across diff erent government tiers. During the event, 50 attendees (from CSOs, UN agencies, line ministries, and government agencies) discussed intensively and appealed to the Nepal government to increase the portion of the investment for children and CFLG. They highlighted the need to bring a new CFLG strategy, allocate a child budget code for children's budget in the federal level budget, and emphasized that SPCSN and the NCFLG forum are providing technical support to adopt the CFLG framework in 32 local governments of Madhes, Karnali, and Far Western Province of Nepal under the portfolio of Empowered Women Prosperous program Nepal funded by UNICEF Nepal. Source: National News Agency Nepal

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has asked the newly-appointed Bangladesh ambassador to Kuwait to work for the overall welfare of expatriate Bangladeshis living in Kuwait as well as facilitate manpower exports there. The Head of State came up with the directive as the new ambassador of Bangladesh to Kuwait Major General Syed Tarek Hossain today paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban here. "The President instructed the ambassador to properly utilize the potential to increase Bangladesh's trade and investment with Kuwait," President's Press Secretary Md. Joynal Abedin told BSS subsequently. The new ambassador sought the direction of the president in carrying out his assignment. Secretaries concerned to the President's office were present. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Today's meeting of the Lumbini Province Assembly passed the budget for coming fiscal year 2024/25. Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Chet Narayan Acharya, presented a proposal seeking passage of the bill designed to implement the proposal related to finance of the Province Assembly. Speaker Tularam Gharti announced that the budget was passed by the PA. Minister Acharya had on June 15 presented a budget of Rs 38.97 billion for the coming fiscal year. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury today said Bangladesh and Maldives will work together on climate diplomacy. He made the remark at a meeting with Maldives' Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Technology Thoriq Ibrahim on the sidelines of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) conference in Thimphu, Bhutan. During the meeting, the Bangladesh minister proposed taking joint ecotourism programmes combining Bangladesh's beaches and Maldives' islands, according to a message received here. In addition, he stressed the need for expanding employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in Maldives and ensuring their welfare. Maldives' Minister Thoriq Ibrahim sought cooperation from Bangladesh in importing fruit, forest and medicinal tree saplings and establishing nurseries. He mentioned that the labour market in Maldives, which had been closed for a long time, has recently reopened for Bangladeshis, leading to an expected increase in the number of Bangladeshi workers. They also discussed using Bangladesh's geo-satellite to monitor sea level changes. This collaborative effort between the two countries will play a crucial role in addressing climate change and expanding ecotourism, they said. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Health and Population Minister Pradeep Yadav has formed a high-level monitoring committee for pharmaceutical industry reforms. The committee has been formed to address the problems surfaced in the quality and operation of the Nepali pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical wholesalers and pharmacies. The main objective of the committee is to identify the problems in the production, sales, distribution, export, import and storage process by conducting on-site inspection of pharmaceutical industries, wholesalers and pharmacies in Birgunj and Itahari. The committee was formed to ensure whether the Medicines Act, 2035 and other prevailing laws were enforced or not, it is said. It is mandated that the committee will monitor the adherence to quality standards in drug production, drug efficacy and safety. The committee will also examine whether the drug wholesaler sells or distributes drugs of the prescribed quality. Dr. Bikas Devkota, Additional Health Secretary of the Ministry, has been as appointed as the coordinator of the committee. Similarly, Dr. Gunanidhi Sharma, senior health administrator of the ministry, has been appointed as member secretary of the committee. The members are Narayan Dhakal, Director General of Drug Administration Department, Sangita Sah, Senior Drug Manager of National Pharmaceutical Laboratory, representative of Nepal Pharmacy Council, authorized representative of district administration office of the respective districts and head of the branch office of the Department of Drug Administration in the respective area. The committee will have to submit its report by 15 days to the Ministry. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Lawmakers today said the proposed budget has been placed aiming to fulfill the demand of the people. Taking part in the general discussion on the national budget for 2024-25 fiscal at the Jatiya Sangsad here, the lawmakers said the proposed budget has focused on education, health, food, local industries and social security which would improve peoples' life and ensuring forming a developed society. Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on June 6 unveiled a Taka 7,97,000 crore national budget for 2024-25 fiscal setting the GDP growth target at 6.8 percent amid an economic meltdown across the world due to ongoing Ukraine-Russia war and Hamas-Israel-Palestine conflict. "The proposed budget has been placed with a target to create employment, rejuvenating the local industries and curbing inflation and it will fulfill the demand of the common people", said Deputy Leader of the parliament Matia Chowdhury of Sherpur-2. Although different political and social quarters including a research outfit have sharply cri ticized the economy of the country and termed the proposed budget as 'not implementable', she said, adding, "But the deputy leader asked them how the country already has secured 33rd position of the world economy if the economy is not work properly." "The highest outlay of budget means the economy of the country is rising fast and people are getting the benefit", said Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud. The budget has proposed to reduce import duty from 3 percent to one percent on rice, wheat and pulse import which would make the livelihood of the lower middle class and poor people", said AFM Bahauddin Nasim of Dhaka-8. Welcoming the proposed budget, Abdur Razzaque of Tangail-8 said the budget has been placed in line with the electoral manifestoes of the ruling Awami League. The allocation under the safety net programmes has been proposed Taka 1,36,026 crore for FY25 while it was only Taka 22,000 crore during the BNP-Jammat regime, said the lawmaker. "The proposed 53rd budget titled "March Towards Smart Ba ngladesh Following the Path of Sustainable Development" which is only 4.6 percent bigger than that of the current fiscal year, would help to build a smart Bangladesh", said State Minister for Planning Shahiduzzaman Sarker of Naogaon-2. Terming the proposed as land mark, the state minister said the allocation under annual development programme (ADP)was Taka 21,600 crore during BNP-Jamat regime while it is now reaches to Taka 2,65,000 crore. Participating in the discussion, Jatiya Party deputy leader Anisul Islam Mahmud of Chattogram-5 said, "We must have to be united for implementing a balanced distribution of resources, resist corruption and strengthening economy in line with realizing the dream of Bangabandhu for greater interest of the people". Another opposition lawmaker Hafijuddin Ahmed of Thakurgaon-3 said the proposed budget has increased Taka 64,000 crore new tax which would create negative impact on the common people. Treasury bench members, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Kujend ra Lal Tripura, Ashiqullah Rafique of Cox's Bazar-2, Mujibur Rahman Majnu of Bogura-2, Abdul Latif Siddiqui of Tangail-7, Amatul Kibria Keya Chowdhury of Hobiganj-1, Dr Sri Biren Sikder of Magura-2, Enamul Huq Babul of Jashore-4,KhaledaBahar Beauty of Women seat-16, Runu Reza of Women seat-12,Sharif Ahmed of Mymensingh-2,Independent lawmaker Shahjahan Omar of Jhalokati-1, B.M Kabirul Haque of Narail-1, Abdullah Al Islam Jakob of Bhola-4, M. Abdul Latif of Chattogram-11, Kazi Nabil Ahmed of Jashore-3, took part in the discussion. Earlier, they paid their cordial tributes to the memory of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders, martyred Freedom Fighters and also those who made their utmost sacrifices during the War of Liberation and all subsequent democratic movements in the country. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha