BHIMDUTTANAGAR: People could not feel the sense of change in the country even after the country adopted federalism, according to Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairman Kamal Thapa. Addressing a press conference by Media Nepal here today, Thapa asked the government to work towards fulfilling the people’s aspirations. He also charged that various elements are active in plundering the nation in the name of a democratic system.
RUPANDEHI: Agreement between the government and CK Raut delivers the message of peace, according to Boshnu Poudel, general secretary of Nepal Communist Party (NCP). The agreement is a severe blow to those willing for nation’s split, he said. Poudel was speaking at the inaugural function of the third convention of the Sundarnagar Drinking Water Consumers and Sanitation Association here. “No one should dream of splitting the country,” he said.
On the occasion, Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development of Province 5, Baijanath Chaudhary, urged the general secretary to make efforts in releasing adequate budget for the province from the central government, so that the project launched by the central government could be completed.
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress Central Working Committee member Dr Shekhar Koirala has accused the KP Oli-led government of giving an impression of a totalitarian regime.
Speaking at an interaction organized by Democratic Professors’ Association, Gandaki Province chapter in Pokhara on Saturday, Koirala lambasted Oli over his statement in which he said Rabindra Adhikari was innocent in the wide-body purchase scam.
“Prime Minister is not the judge to declare Rabindra Adhikari innocent in the wide-body procurement case before his cremation.
“Who gave him this right? Koirala questioned aggressively, adding, “Those found guilty in the high profile cases such as wide-body scam, Budhigandaki and Ncell must be brought to justice. Those holding public posts should be accountable and cautious while delivering their views.”
Meanwhile, he called for holding 14th General Convention on time, warning that the party would become weaker if the General Convention were delayed.
Similarly, NC Central Member Gururaj Ghimire charged that the party has been in jeopardy after it violated the party statue.
He suggested that the central committee of the Nepal Students Union should be formed by the members who are below 32 years in age.
CHAUTARA: Bungee jumping is now mandatory for entering the police service. The police officer trainees would have to undergo bungee jumping at Listi of Sindhupalchok. As part of this provision, 120 trainees, including 14 women, of the 179th batch undergoing the Police Inspector Basic Training conducted by the National Police Academy (NPA) participated in the bungee jumping training session.
NPA superintendent, Madhusudan Luintel said the bungee jumping is made mandatory as the police personnel have to carry out rescue works under difficult circumstances. This type of training was also provided at the same venue last year.
The bungee jump facility at Listi of Bhotekoshi is 160 meters high. It is the second highest bungee jumping in the world. The world’s highest bungee jumping is in South Africa. It is 220 meters high, according to the Wave tourism magazine.
Presently up to 1,200 enthusiasts come at the site daily for bungee jumping and out of this 85 percent are Nepalis, Manager Kumar Raut at Listi Bungee Jumping Facility said.
PARSA: District Police Office made public main plotters involved in the kidnapping of Nepali Industrialist, Suresh Kedia. At a press conference on Friday morning the police made public Bablu Pashwan of Bihar and Bijaya Kumar Mahato of Motihari in India. Kedia was abducted from Pasaha Bridge at Mahagadhimai of Bara district on May 26, 2016.
Several cases on abdication, kidnapping, organized crime and on arms and ammunition have been filed against those arrested at Bara District Court. Kedia was rescued by the Indian police from Motihari of India.
GORKHA: Over Rs 140 million has been spent on the reconstruction of the Manakamana Temple damaged by the earthquake of April, 2015, said the temple reconstruction committee.
Of the used budget for the project, the Department of Archeology released Rs 40 million, and the remaining amount was collected from offerings made by the pilgrims, said Krishna Babu Shrestha, treasurer of the temple reconstruction committee. “Most of the money was spent on the purchase of gold for the reconstruction. Over 14 kilograms and 474 grams gold was used to gold-plate the temple’s roof, windows and doors. Of the total gold purchased, 286 grams and 17 milligrams remain unused,” he said. Of the expenditure, over Rs 5.5 million went to the employees’ expenditure and Rs 6.2 million to administrative work, he said.
Likewise, over Rs 134 million was spent on purchasing gold and wages for the construction workers. Over Rs 150 million was collected from the fund raising campaign launched by the committee for the reconstruction, and more than Rs 14 million came from interest on money the committee has deposited in banks. The unused money worth more than Rs 58 million has been deposited in the committee’s bank accounts, said Shrestha. Initially the committee had estimated over Rs 48 million for the reconstruction. But its expenditures increased due to various reasons, said Shrestha.
The four-story temple had tilted around 12 inches towards north-east by the quake and developed cracks on its roofs. Started some three months after the quake, the project missed the completion target of the period between mid-March and mid-April, 2018 due to various reasons including the economic blockade and scarcity of woods needed for the reconstruction, said Shrestha.
KATHMANDU: A trekking guide died while the other went missing after being buried by an avalanche that occurred at Kyangdi of Nisyang Rural Municipality-1, Manang district.
According to Inspector Shrawan Kumar BK of District Police Office, Manang, the deceased is identified as Ajaya Dhakal of Dhading while Netherlander Vincent Bloom is still missing in the snowslide.
Dhakal and Bloom were returning home after completing an arduous Annapurna trek when the accident took place.
Dhakal’s body was recovered on Friday evening and will be handed over to his family after postmortem while the search for Bloom is underway, said BK.
KATHMANDU: A bomb went off at the garage of the President of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies, Rohan Gurung, at Basundhara this evening.
The explosion completely damaged a parked car, police said.
The car has been totally damaged in the blast, according to Gurung. Window panes of the ground floor of the house have been shattered.
Police have initiated investigation into the incident.
TAMGHAS: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Gyawali has warned that the government would not tolerate any criminal activities in the country.
Gyawali said any crime on innocent citizens under any political cover would be unacceptable. Speaking at a program at Tamghas on Friday, Minister Gyawali hit out at the Biplav-led Maoist party of hoarding illegal weapons and playing with the sentiments of the innocent people.
Gyawali said since it is the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order, resorting to violence as a means of extortion will not be tolerated at any cost.
“Place you political demands in a political means, resorting to criminal activities will take us nowhere,” he warned the Biplav-led Maoist party.
Likewise, he also justified the court’s orders sentencing Resham Chaudhari, the main accused in the Tikapur incident, to life imprisonment, welcoming the verdict. “It is the duty of all Nepalis to accept the court decision,” he said.