Category: General

Kathmandu: Lawmakers from the opposition have warned that they would obstruct the House proceedings if the government failed to address contemporary issues. In a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, the CPN (UML) demanded time before the Speaker to put their opinion. UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant sought resignation of Minister for Health and Population, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, on a moral ground as he was being interrogated by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. He also took time to express his grudges over the non-implementation of a report on death of two youths in a police firing at Balkumari, Lalitpur. Pant also questioned the decision of Lumbini Area Development Trust's Vice Chair Dr Lhyarkal Lama to give a disputed public land on lease. Similarly, Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Biraj Bhakta Shrestha demanded the government initiation to take action against those accused in the Balkumari incident. He also apprised the House that victims of usury were again forced t o gather in Kathmandu for the protest. Lawmaker of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi sought a review of parliamentary system, adding that incidences of irregularities, arrears and impunity were on rise in the country of late. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: The weather of the country remains partly to generally cloudy today. This is due to the influence of westerly low pressure system, says the Weather Forecasting Division. There is possibility of light rain with thunder and lightning in some places of hilly areas of Koshi and Madhes provinces and in one or two places of the rest of the country. The Division has also said that there is possibility of light snowfall in some places of high hills and mountainous parts of the country. Later tonight, the weather will remain partly cloudy in Koshi, Madhes and Bagmati provinces, with clear weather in remaining part of the country. There is possibility of sporadic rain at one or two places in the hilly areas of Koshi and Gandaki provinces. The maximum temperature of Kathmandu will remain 21.5 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature will be 9.3 degree Celsius. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Province Presidents in the ongoing Mahasamiti meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) have stressed the need to devise united efforts to make NC a number one party in the upcoming election. Presenting the recommendations received from the four groups divided for discussion In the general council meeting of the party underway at Sunrise Conference Centre based in Godavari, Lalitpur, the Presidents said the NC has failed to attract new voters while forming coalition in the past. In his presentation, NC Sudurpaschim Province President Bir Bahadur Balayar said the Mahasamiti members discussed on the pressing concerns of the party and the country when they were embattled by the opposition. "As the main party of the country, NC needs to come up with a document adopting an 'one policy and a goal", he said. NC Koshi Province President Uddhav Thapa said He said that the issue of strengthening the party and emerging it the first party in the upcoming elections has been raised. He further said the issue of the party's failure to increase youth attraction and a decision on the agenda of forming alliance with other parties was also raised during the discussion. Likewise, Karnali Province President Lalitjung Shahi underlined the need to sincerely implement the policies recommended in the mahasamiti meeting. Shahi said there should be no hurry to take a decision on whether to form an alliance or not. "There is a perception within the alliance whether it should be before or after election is a strategic issue. It is a matter demanded by the then times, so we cannot decide such issue now," he said. President Shahi said the incumbent alliance should be continued and a proposal that central committee member should automatically be a member of Mahasamiti should be scrapped. Saying they received suggestions from members that ticket distribution should be made transparent, President of Madhes Province Krishna Yadav mentioned that Mahasamiti members raised the issue on declining attraction of young generation to the Nepali Congres s. He added, "Mahasamiti members have raised the voice that NC general convention should be held in every two years and positive result can be achieved from such practice." Likewise, President of Bagmati Province, Indra Baniya, shared demands including incentivizing farmers towards adopting modern agriculture, taking initiatives to resolve people's problems, making coordination between the government and party and ensuring education and health free were raised. Similarly, Gandaki Province President Shukra Raj Sharma explained that various issues including making party structures stronger from centre to local level, making ticket distribution transparent and running campaigns to ensure party's majority in coming elections were raised. Lumbini Province President Amar Singh Pun said the three-tier government should play leadership role to translate into actions the rights guaranteed by the constitution. Mahasamiti members raised the issue that the NC should take initiative to make arrangement of voting for Non-Resident Nepalis in coming election, he added. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: President of Rastriya Swatantra Party Rabi Lamichhane and Ambassador of the European Union to Nepal, Veronique Lorenzo, held a meeting on Thursday at the RSP central office in Banasthali. Issues of Nepal-EU relations were discussed during the meeting, according to RSP Central Committee Member and Joint Spokesperson Prativa Rawal. On the occasion, the two reviewed the 50 years long Nepal-EU cooperation and emphasized the need of further strengthening bilateral ties in the days to come. Likewise, President Lamichhane urged the EU Ambassador to take initiatives to remove Nepal from the Air Safety List of the EU. In response, the EU Ambassador said that the issue was in her priority adding that EU was coordinating with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) for Nepal's tasks to do for aviation security. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha has viewed sluggishness, unaccountability and impunity are costing dear to governance in the country. Corruption is a huge challenge before us, DPM Shrestha said, suggesting the home administration to maintain peace and law and order. Addressing the Lumbini Province level security seminar here today, DPM Shrestha reminded that government had aimed at building good governance, social justice and prosperity. Crime can be curbed by building peace, he suggested. The DPM viewed people should be ensured atmosphere conducive for their realization of change. It is equally essential to increase public trust in current system, he underscored. Entire society needs to build positivity for maintaining good governance. "The concept of 'citizen first' should be internalized and enforced so that public service delivery can be effective. According to him, public security and development works should be taken together. Rule of law, protection of human rights, so cial stability are government's priorities, he added. He directed for the cooperation and collaboration among the province and local governments for good governance, stability and development. DPM Shrestha however said administrative and legal frameworks were yet to the built to enforce federalism in full scale. He informed that the government was launching special schemes for the poverty-stricken community. He made aware the participants on misuse of social network intended to disrupt social harmony. "I direct the subordinates to take immediate action- to the extent of removal from post- against those who work in cahoots with criminals on girl trafficking, financial crimes, internet fraud, among others," DPM Shrestha underlined. The seminar to run for two days has witnessed participation of chief district officers and chiefs of security agencies from 12 districts in the province. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Nepali Congress General-Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has pointed out the need to reach out among the people with a determination of making the NC strong and powerful. In a concluding session of the party's Mahasamiti meeting at Godavari-based Sunrise Conference Centre on Thursday, General-Secretary Thapa noted NC should take bold decision to investigate properties of all those who have been in leadership position since 2046 BS. He shared, "The ministers who have no good performance should be recalled. NC should not protect the people involved in corruption cases". Similarly, another General-Secretary, Bishwa Prakash Sharma, said the Mahasamiti meeting has delivered a message that the NC is united to take good governance and prosperity ahead in the country. "We got chance to listen to the problems from all corners of the country in the Mahasamiti meeting. The NC being united will move ahead to resolve it", he mentioned. Sharing that the NC is the party leading the country, General-Secretary Sharma undersco red the need of following the decisions endorsed by the meeting. Joint General-Secretary Pharmullah Mansoor laid emphasis that NC leaders and cadres across the country should be united to make the party stronger, adding now there is all-inclusive representation in the party from different spheres, including women, Madhesi, Muslim in the parliament due to proportional election system, which was made possible due to the NC. Likewise, other Joint General-Secretaries-Umakant Chaudhary, Mahalaxmi (Dina) Upadhyay, Bhisma Raj Aangdembe, Badri Prasad Pandey and Kishor Singh Rathore also underscored the need of making the party stronger reaching among the people. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr Shekhar Koirala has said the expansion of democracy would be hampered if the Nepali Congress (NC) was weakened. He said NC was the only party that would build future of the people. In his address to the concluding session of the NC Mahasamiti meeting held at Sunrise Conference Centre in Godavari, Lalitpur today, leader Dr Koirala called for the party leadership to properly find and evaluate those who could not get proper respect despite devoting their lives to democracy and the party. He stressed the need to initiate research to map such individuals, incidents and modes and document them properly for justice purpose. Recalling those glorious moments in history and the leaders who guided them, he said the elders should successfully carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them for nation-building. Leader Koirala said that the NC should move ahead with pride in its history by shaping the present and moving ahead in the future. He said that the challenge of the day was to t ransform the internal life of the party by restoring the lost values, methods, ideas and ideals of the party. He said the party should work to solve the problems of the people. NC's former vice-president Gopalman Shrestha said there was no need to be panic. "Let us be organized, we can become not only a big party but also a majority winning party," he claimed. Likewise, former vice-president Prakash Man Singh stressed the need to move ahead by empowering all the three levels of government. "The path of economic revolution should be completed under the NC leadership by protecting the constitution promulgated by the Constituent Assembly," he said. Former vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi urged the party to go after the meeting with enthusiasm so that the party would win the upcoming elections in 2084 BS. He stressed the need to impart the message of Mahasamiti to the general public. Similarly, former vice-president Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar said it was the responsibility of the new generation to take the party forward with a long history. He said all should unite to strengthen the party. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Tribhuvan University, Prof Dr Keshar Jung Baral, has assumed his office today. Reaching Kirtipur-based Tribhuvan University office this evening, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor assumed the office. Talking to RSS shortly, he said his first priority is to implement TU's annual academic calendar. "TU is the largest structured institution of the country. Lots of works are to be done here", mentioned Baral, adding priority would be given to implement educational calendar, run examinations and publish result on time. The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor shared that he has a plan to update the university curriculum. Source: National News Agency Nepal

President Ram Chandra Paudel has observed Dhualagiri as a scared land. The Kaligandaki River which is also the source of Shaligram, the Muktinath area, Panchakot, Galeshwordham and the Kalika temple have made the Dhaulagiri region special, earning reputation of scared land, he explained. Addressing a religious event underway at Sarbasiddhidham Panchkot of Baglung municipality-6 since Wednesday, the President today viewed significance of Panchakot was increasing lately. He said he was happy to see the construction of significant infrastructures at Panchakot. According to the Head-Of-the-State, Nepali are connected and united by culture, traditions, norms and values. The President said he noticed influx of tourists at Panchakot and expected that it would contribute to promotion of religious tourism and to the enhancement of economic status of entire Baglung. On the occasion, Sarbasiddhadham Panchakot founder Swami Kamalnayanacharya welcomed the President at Panchakot. The religious event entitled 'Anantash ree Brahmandiya Mahayagya' is being organised at the initiation of spiritual guru Kamalnayanachaya. The President also took part in the hawan as part of the Mahayagya. According to the organiser, the event is first of its kind in Nepal and will run till February 25. It was informed that the proceeds generated from the Mahayagya would be used for concluding the remaining works of construction at Panchakot. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: Cricketer Sandip Lamichhane has lodged a case at the Patan High Court on Thursday challenging the verdict of the Kathmandu District Court that convicted Lamichhane on a rape case. According to Registrar of Patan High Court Man Bahadur Karki, the petition was lodged to make the appeal without being held in detention as per the Section 137 of the Criminal Procedure (Code) Act 2074 BS. A single bench of Kathmandu District Court's Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal on January 10 had slapped Rs 300,000 in fine and Rs 200,000 in compensation against Lamichhane convicting him in a rape case on Gaushala 26. Source: National News Agency Nepal

Kathmandu: The CPN (Maoist Centre) has held discussions on preparations for the Tarai-Madhes (Postal Highway) awareness campaign aimed at connecting the party with the people in the southern plain area. The standing committee meeting presided over by party chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' at the party headquarters in Parisdanda today discussed about the second phase of the campaign to be conducted on March 14-28, party secretary Ganesh Sah told RSS. General discussions were also held on the route of the campaign, he said. The campaign will start from Chandragadhi, Jhapa and reach western Nepal via Birgunj, Thori, Madi Chitwan. The Maoists are preparing to launch the campaign on the basis of postal highway. The Maoists had decided to launch an awareness campaign targeting the Tarai-Madhes after drawing a conclusion that the 'Maoist Transformation Special Campaign with the People', conducted across the country from August to December last year, went successful. In the meeting, in-charges of seven geogra phical and three non-geographical provinces reported on the campaign. The standing committee meeting is scheduled to resume at 1.00 pm tomorrow. Source: National News Agency Nepal

A school in Kapilvastu district has been temporarily closed due to mass hysteria among students. Nepal Adarsha Higher Secondary School based at Shivapur of Shivaraj municipality-1 has been shut for two days as numerous students displayed symptoms such as fainting, restlessness, and screaming, according to Shivaraj municipality education section chief, Dinesh Chaudhary. School principal Muktinath Pokhrel said students showed these symptoms during regular school hours. On Wednesday alone, over 10 girls showed these symptoms and the school sought the help of psychoanalysts to address the situation. After showing such symptoms for sometimes, the students get normalized. Sometimes ago, the local Saraswoti Basic School also witnessed the similar situation. As per doctors, this is the case of mass hysteria and it will be normalized if students are separated by closing schools for some days. Source: National News Agency Nepal