KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday endorsed the Foreign Investment and Technology Handover Bill, 2075.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav had presented a proposal seeking passage of the bill at the HoR.

The proposal was passed by a majority. The bill has been introduced with an aim to attract foreign (direct) investment (FDI) to strengthen the country’s economy as well as to increase domestic production.

Likewise, the bill also provides the government the ground to make necessary legal provisions in considering of the investment summit taking place in Kathmandu on March 29 to 30.

KATHMANDU:  National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, has passed five bills unanimously.

The NA endorsed the Citizen Investment Trust (Second Amendment) Bill, 2075; Public-Private Partnership and Investment Bill, 2075;  Financial Audit Bill, 2075; Pesticide Management Bill, 2075; and Special Economic Zone (First Amendment) Bill, 2075.

Likewise, the NA also endorsed the Province Public Service Commission (Basis and Standard Determination) Bill, 2075 unanimously, accepting the amendment made by the House of Representatives (HoR).

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanubhakta Dhakal had presented the proposal in the meeting on behalf the Prime Minister seeking the bill be approved again by accepting the amendment to it.

Similarly, Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada , on behalf the Prime Minister, presented a proposal in the NA seeking its passage of the Public-Private Partnership and Investment Bill. He also presented separate proposals in the Assembly seeking that the Citizen Investment Trust (Second Amendment) Bill, 2075 and Financial Audit Bill, 2075 also be passed.

Finance Minister Khatiwada also, on behalf the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, presented a proposal on the Pesticide Management Bill, 2075 in today’s Assembly.

Likewise, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav presented the proposal related to the Special Economic Zone (Firs Amendment) Bill, 2075.

KATHMANDU: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) said it will install around 8,000 street lights in major road sections in Kathmandu.

The KMC will start installing the lights from next month, KMC spokesperson Ishwor Man Dangol informed. The lights will be set up along the Tripureshwor-Chakrapath, Kalanki-Airport, and Thapathali-Kamalpokhari section of the roads. Dangol informed that the KMC has set aside Rs50 million for the project.

The installation of the lights is expected to facilitate people’s movement at night as well as to minimize road accidents and robberies.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu is preparing to install CCTV cameras in various areas of the capital. According to the Range, the KMC has released Rs30 million for the project.

KATHMANDU: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Monday filed a case of corruption at the Special Court against Umesh Kumar Thakur, the then accountant of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) at the Ratnapark distribution center.

The CIAA has charged Thakur of embezzling amount worth Rs 5.2 million.

The CIAA investigation found that he had used fake bills and vouchers to misuse government funds. He has also been alleged of influencing an internal probe committee formed by the NEA to look into reports of embezzlement worth ten million rupees.

KATHMANDU: A new office premises of the delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nepal was inaugurated in Kathmandu today.

Deputy Managing Director for Asia and Pacific of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Paola Pampaloni, and the EU Ambassador to Nepal Veronica Cody, inaugurated the new office. Also present on the occasion was Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun.

On the occasion, Pampaloni said that the EU and Nepal have been partners in development cooperation ever since bilateral relations began in 1973.

Stating that EU and Nepal marked 45 years of the friendship in 2018, she said the role of the EU Delegation to Nepal has been vital in advancing the relations over the years.

Pampaloni said the purchase of the new Delegation premises is a testimony to the EU’s commitment to remain engaged in and with Nepal.

The EU is the largest development donor in Nepal. It should be noted that during the 2014-2020, the EU tripled its assistance to Nepal from 120 million to 360 million.

DHADING: One person died and four others injured in a mini-truck accident at Tilar, Tripurasundari Rural Municipality-4 in Dhading district today.

The deceased has been identified as Arjun Bhujel, 27, of Tripurasundari Rural Municipality-7 of the district.

The mini-truck (Ga 1 Kha 5959), loaded with stones, was en route to Karki Gaun from Khahare of Tripurasundari Rural Municipality when it fell some 15 meters down the road at 10:30 this morning, police said.

Among the injured is the mini-truck driver Rajesh Bhandari, 28, of Tripurasundari-4. He has suffered injuries on his head and back. Likewise, Tilak Shrestha, 25, of Tripurasundari-7 has suffered a fracture on his right leg. Both of them have been sent to the Trauma Centre in Kathmandu for treatment.

District Police Office, Dhading has deployed a team of police to investigate into the accident case.

KATHMANDU: Amid speculations that CK Raut’s signing of the 11-point agreement with the government was a mere hoodwink, a national council meeting of the Alliance for Independent Madhes (AIM) not only decided to join the mainstream politics, but also changed the party’s name to ‘Janamat Party’.

A two-day meeting held in Lahan of Siraha from Sunday participated by over 150 representatives decided to change the name of the party while terming the 11-point agreement as a historic and significant achievement of the Madhesi people.

A day after signing the agreement with the government on March 8, Raut flew to Janakpur where he was given a hero’s welcome by his supporters shouting slogans of ‘Free Madesh’. In the agreement, he had agreed to accept Nepal’s territorial integrity.

Earlier on Sunday, to everyone’s surprise, the meeting started by playing the national anthem ‘Sayaun thunga phulka hami…’.

The two-day meeting deliberated on the 11-point agreement signed between the then AIM and the government.

Likewise, the party has also decided to ‘move ahead’ abiding by Nepal’s constitution and its territorial integrity.

The flag of the new party will be a tri-color party flag with red, white and green vertical strips with a red octagon symbol on the white strip. The central working committee headed by Raut will have 35 members, the party said.

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal obstructed today’s parliamentary proceedings as well demanding the government to release the report prepared by Girish Chandra Lal commission.

The probe commission was formed to investigate into the alleged cases of human rights violations during the Madhes agitations.

No sooner had the session commenced, the RJP-Nepal lawmakers stood from their respective seats as a gesture of protest. The lawmakers said they would not allow the parliamentary session to run until the report was made public.

The commission was formed by the erstwhile Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur-led government on September 18, 2016 to probe into the Tharuhat and Madhes agitation. According to RJP-N lawmakers, the commission has already submitted the report to the government on February 12, 2018.

KATHMANDU: Police have arrested two people with Rs. 1.2 million fake bank notes at Bag Bazaar in the capital on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off that, a police squad deployed from Metropolitan Crime Division (MPCD), Teku rounded them up with fake Nepali bank notes, DSP Hobindra Bogati told Khabarhub.

The arrested are 52-year-old Bhim Bahadur Malla of Bhaktapur and Man Bahadur Subedi, 46, of Okhaldhunga.

“We took them under control acting upon information that they had been cheating people through false promises   by using hypnotism,” said Bogati.

They used to charge Rs 35,000 per person by promising them that they would help him/her convert fake a bundle of Rs 100,000 into real, according to police.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress lawmaker Radheshyam Adhikari today alleged the government of what he said busy in ‘cracking jokes’ at a time when the country is entering into yet another ‘grave crises’.

Speaking at the meeting of the National Assembly, Adhikari came down heavily on the government for not taking the Biplav-led faction’s activities seriously.

“The government should try to address the problem in a political way,” he suggested while blaming the government of seeking a legal way out to the problem.

Adhikari also lambasted Prime Minister KP Oli for making irresponsible remarks on Biplav-led faction. “It is high time that the government took the issue seriously before it is too late,” he warned.

He suggested the government to hold serious discussions with the opposition party in this regard while asking the government to reminisce the decade-long insurgency led by the then CPN-Maoist party.

On the occasion, he also urged the Biplav-led faction to shun violence.