KATHMANDU: While the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has been talking about the smart city and smart waiting shed, city commuters in Kathmandu are compelled to stand on the crammed pavement and streets while waiting for crowded public transports.
Either the passenger sheds are in a dilapidated state or they are occupied by street vendors, or there are none causing sufferings for the commuters.
Despite government efforts to fix hitches the problems, passengers continue to face difficulties, mostly during peak hours.
Khabarhub came across serpentine queues at Ratna Park waiting for public transport. Moreover, there were cases of overloading along the routes such as Ratna Park-Narayanthan, Ratna Park-Tinkune route, among others.
“We have been experiencing this every day,” Ram Acharya of Budhanilakantha told Khabarhub, who was in the queue waiting for a public transport adding such a situation is common during morning and evening hours.
When asked to shed light on the experiences, most of the passengers said, “Imagine the situation during the rainy season.”
Many passengers have to say that public transport is so packed they even could not breathe properly. But they said the passengers have no option but to get into the overcrowded buses and micros.
Meanwhile, Spokesperson at the KMC, Ishwor Man Dangol said they are planning to establish smart waiting sheds considering the passengers’ trouble.
“We have formed a separate team to study about the location and the condition of the sheds and submit a report,” he said adding, “The team will submit the report in a week.”
The smart waiting sheds will have all information such as the arrival and departure of buses, routes, and fare, among others.
DARCHULA: As many as 11 passengers died when a jeep plunged into the Mahakali River at Ratakhata of Darchula district Friday evening.
The ill-fated jeep — Se 1 Ja 280 –carrying 14 passengers was heading towards Hikila from the district headquarters Khalanga, police said. The jeep fell some 500 meters down the road in Duhu Rural Municipality, according to police.
Among the dead are seven women and four men. Driver Dipak Dhami was rescued from the accident site and rushed to India for treatment, said DSP Bhim Bahadur Chand of Armed Police Force, Pithauragadh told Khabarhub. The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.
The cause of accident remains unknown. A total of 12 people were traveling in the jeep.
URLABARI: Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Kamal Thapa has claimed that Hindu state would be restored at any cost.
Addressing a program at Urlabari of Morang on Friday, Thapa said Nepal would be established Hindu state through street protests as RPP does not have majority in the parliament.
The party is organizing ‘Mechi Mahakali National Dignity Campaign’.
He also warned of nation-wide protests if the government turned deaf ear to their demands before March 15. “We have submitted a 22-point memorandum to the Prime Minister calling for a referendum to decide the fate of Hindu state,” he said.
Likewise, Thapa also demanded that the government investigated the assets of the politicians and officials occupying public posts since 1991 by forming an independent probe commission.
KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives (HoR) on Friday passed a condolence motion on the demise of lawmaker and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Rabindra Adhikari.
In today’s meeting of HoR, the proposal presented by Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara was passed unanimously.
The proposal states that today’s meeting of the HoR expresses deep sorrow over the unexpected demise of Minister Adhikari on Wednesday, February 27 at the age of 49 in the air Dynasty helicopter crash in Taplejung.
The meeting also extended heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family and observed a moment of one-minute silence in honor of late Adhikari.
The HoR will meet at 1:00 am on Saturday.
Cries and yells echoed as thousands gathered for the last rites of Rabindra Adhikari, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation at Ramghat, Pokhara. A scenic city, otherwise throbbing with touristic activities, Pokhara today wore a gloomy look as it mourns the demise of a visionary leader.
Inconsolable relatives and friends said their final goodbyes to a young and promising leader, a father of two, and above all their representative to the House of Representatives as his wife and two sons lit the funeral pyre Friday.
Adhikari tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in Taplejung on Wednesday afternoon along with six others, who were flying back to Kathmandu after carrying out a feasibility study of the proposed airport at Chuhandanda of Tehrathum district.
He was cremated with state honors as visibly shocked family members, friends and well-wishers paid their final respects to the 49-year-old at Ramghat in Kaski on Friday afternoon.
Inconsolable relatives and friends said their final goodbyes to a young and promising leader, a father of two, and above all their representative to the House of Representatives as his wife and two sons lit the funeral pyre Friday.
A squad of Nepal Army (NA) gave a salute to late Adhikari in state honors .
“He was a beam of light and energy for the people of Kaski, especially Kaski constituency-2 from where he was elected to the House of Representatives,” a local leader, who was present on the occasion, said.
He is remembered as a visionary leader, a lovable son, and a responsible father.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Ishwor Pokharel reached Ramghat of Pokhara to represent the government in Adhikari’s cremation. The government had earlier decided to cremate Adhikari with state honor.
Earlier, his body was airlifted to his hometown from Kathmandu shortly after the condolence gathering at Tundikhel where thousands of people bade goodbye to the departed souls.
Prime Minister KP Oli has refuted allegations that late Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari was involved in the purchase of the wide-body aircraft.
“Those are mere allegations,” PM Oli said adding, “It was a ploy to defame him.”
Speaking at a party program organized to pass the condolence motion on the demise of Adhikari, PM Oli denied to have Adhikari’s involvement in the scam. “The charges against him were false,” he stated adding that he did a significant job in tourism sector during his tenure as the Minister.
Likewise, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) passed a condolence motion of the departed souls.
KATHMANDU: The health condition of former Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Finance, Bharat Mohan Adhikari is critical, hospital sources said.
Adhikari, 82, who is also a senior leader of Nepal Communist Party (NCP), is being treated on a ventilator at the Hospital for Advanced Medicine and Surgery (HAMS) in Dhumbarahi.
“The condition of Bharat Mohan Adhikari is critical. He is being treated on a ventilator. He is suffering from severe pneumonia. He has slow pulse rates and is unable to speak,” Dr Arjun Karki, who is attending Adhikari, told Khabarhub.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Adhikari was admitted to HAMS after he complained of asthma and respiratory problems 15 days ago, his family sources said.
KATHMANDU: National Assembly (NA) passed a condolence motion on the demise of Rabindra Adhikari, minister for Culture, Toursim and Civil Aviation, today. The minister passed away in a chopper crash in Taplejung on Wednesday. The motion of condolence was presented by Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, NA chairman. The NA meeting observed a moment of silence for a minute, wishing for eternal peace to the departed soul.
KATHMANDU: Some parts of the country are likely to witness rainfall tomorrow whereas snowfall may occur in the mountain belt, according to Meteorologist, Min Kumar Aryal at Meteorological Forecasting Division. Despite improvement in the weather today, the sky will turn cloudy again tomorrow. The rough weather will continue until Sunday, according to the Division.
KATHMANDU: Tourism Minister Adhikari’s mortal remains has reached Pokhara. His body was taken to Tribhuvan International Airport from where it was flown to his hometown.
Thousands have gathered at the Exhibition Center in Pokhara where his body has been kept for condolences.
Earlier, all the seven bodies including that of Adhikari had been been kept at Tundikhel where thousands of heartbroken people paid their last respects to the departed souls.
As per the cabinet’s decision, the Adhikari’s body will be cremated with state honor at Ramghat in Pokhara today.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Ishwor Pokharel is taking part in the final rites for Adhikari, representing the government.
Secretariat members of the Nepal Communist Party, Bamdev Gautam and Narayan Kaji Shrestha are also attending the funereal ceremony of Adhikari. As announced at Tundikhel, Gautam and Shrestha will drape the party’s flag over the body of late Adhikari while Minister Pokharel will drape a national flag on his mortal remains.
A cabinet meeting held at Baluwatar on Wednesday evening had decided to accord state funeral to Adhikari.
Final rites for five people who lost their lives in the chopper crash on Wednesday will be performed at Pashupati Aryaghat today while that of Ang Chhiring Sherpa, Managing Director of Yeti Airlines, will be held on Sunday.
Seven people, including Adhikari, had died in the chopper crash that occurred in Taplejung district on Wednesday.