KATHMANDU: President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Jin Liqun, has assured of a senior level representation from AIIB in the Nepal Investment Summit to be held in Kathmandu in March.
The Embassy of Nepal in Beijing informed that Liqun has assured that AIIB would also continue to lend its support to Nepal’s development endeavors.
According to RSS, Liqun gave the assurances during his meeting with Chief Executive Officer of Investment Board of Nepal, Maha Prasad Adhikari, in Beijing on Tuesday.
CEO Adhikari, during a meeting with Liqan, informed him about the Summit expressing the confidence that AIIB’s support would be crucial in Nepal’s socio-economic development.
The AIIB President is also learnt to have pledged funding for the projects forwarded by the Nepal government. CEO Adhikari is in Beijing to participate in Pre-Investment Conference organized by Embassy of Nepal in China.
KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives (HoR) unanimously endorsed the proposal to send the Information Technology Bill related to the Information Technology-2075 BS’ to the respective committee for clause-wise discussions.
Finance Minister had presented the proposal on behalf of the Minister for Information and Information Technology Gokul Baskota.
Likewise, the House also accepted the proposal presented by Finance Minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada seeking consideration into amendment made by the National Assembly in regard with the ‘Payment and Clearance Bill- 2075 BS’.
Finance Minister Dr Khatiwada also presented the ‘Economic Procedure and Fiscal Responsibility Bill – 2075 BS’ in the meeting. The HoR shall meet at 1:00 pm on February 28.
SAPTARI: An elderly couple at Khadak Municipality-5 is found dead under mysterious circumstances this morning. The deceased are identified as Saburi Sah, 70, and his wife Bechani Devi, 65. Police suspect that the duo was murdered since their body parts are charred, and the room and the courtyard of the house bloodstained, according to police.
Villagers had found the couple charred to death at their home at around 8 am. The deceased couple was financially well off. Further investigation in the case is underway, according to Superintendent of Police, Rajendra Bista.
KATHMANDU: The unfolding scenario in Nepal concerning the verbal feud between the US and China have hinted at serious consequences.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Joseph H. Felter, who was in Kathmandu last week, had suggested Nepal to agree on Chinese loan and investments if only that served Nepal’s interests.
During his meeting with the Defense Minister, Ishwor Pokhrel, he had “suggested” the former to maintain extreme cautiousness, and focus on transparency while bringing in Chinese investment in the country.
In retaliation, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi on Tuesday warned the US to refrain from making unnecessary comments about Nepal-China relations. She came openly to the fore saying that it was unnecessary for a country, which is “miles away” to make negative comments on the two neighbors.
“Nepal and China share the mountains and rivers,” she said at a program on Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) in Lalitpur while expressing disappointment over negative comments by a third country on the relations between the two neighbors.
She went on to say that China’s investments and projects in Nepal are initiated on the behest of Nepal rather than the Chinese interest.
The Chinese Ambassador even reminisced the completion of the 10.39-kilometer Kalanki-Koteswor Road, which the Chinese side handed-over to Nepal recently.
“I am well aware of the situation of the south Asian countries,” she said while suggesting the US to support them rather than making comments.
Citing another instance of Chinese support to Nepal, Chinese Ambassador Hou informed about the Detailed Project Report (DPR) being prepared for the expansion of the Kalanki-Maharajgunj section of the Ring Road.
In a candid tone, she expressed the assurance that China would never ‘entrap’ Nepal under any pretext.
KATHMANDU: The intra-party wrangling in the main opposition Nepali Congress has reached a new height after two influential leaders boycotted Tuesday’s central working committee meeting.
Disgruntled leaders Ram Chandra Poudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who had earlier objected to the central committee’s decision endorsing the amended statute, eschewed the party’s meeting.
The party then postponed the meeting until further notice.
The two leaders did not attend the meeting, party source said. However, party General Secretary Shashanka Koirala attended the meeting.
The disgruntled faction of the party has been demanding that the discipline committee and the election committee be formed on the basis of consensus.
Tuesday’s meeting was expected to chalk out the differences about the formation of discipline and election committees.
The displeased leaders have criticized the party president Sher Bahadur Deuba for taking unilateral moves.
KATHMANDU: Smuggling of invaluable medicinal herbs continues unabated in Nepal.
Authorities have claimed that high demand for the rare medicinal herbs in the markets of India, China, and other countries has tempted smugglers towards this lucrative business.
Around 7 hundred species of medicinal herbs are available in Nepal, according to a study conducted by the Department of Forests.
These rare species of herbs are going to be extinct if not protected by the government. The unbridled smuggling has posed a serious threat to the herbs.
Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries, including the government-owned Singha Durbar Vaidyakhana, have complained that they are facing a shortage of medicinal herbs in recent times.
Herbs worth Rs millions smuggled
The absence of effective monitoring has encouraged smugglers to smuggle these herbs.
On February 8, police arrested a person Sher Singh Dhami, 48, with 715 kilograms of Setak Chini, locally known as Khiraula, concealed in a house at Chainpur of Bajhang district. Dhami, who originally hails from Apihimal Rural Municipality, Dharchula, landed in police net while he was preparing to smuggle the herbs to India.
On October 30, a squad of Armed Police Force (APF), Kalabanjar seized 75 kilograms of spikenard (Jatamasi) from Duduwa Rural Municipality of Banke.
Similarly, on September 22, police rounded up Mane Rokaya with 1,012 kilograms of Setak Chini in Budhinanda Municipality of Bajura.
Rokaya had collected Setak Chini from a nearby jungle which is priced at Rs 1,600,000 per kilogram in the local market. He was held while he was preparing to smuggle it to India in cahoots.
Influential mafias, according to police, have a hand in smuggling. They, residing in India, smuggle Nepal’s herbs to various countries via India.
These incidents are only the tip of the iceberg. The statistics maintained by the Nepal Police has shown that herbs worth millions of rupees are seized annually.
Police seized herbs worth Rs 16.6 million from Karnali Province in the Fiscal Year 2017/18 alone. Likewise, various types of herbs were seized from Kalikot, Mugu, Rolpa, and Rukum while they were being smuggled to India.
SSP Uttam Raj Subedi, the spokesperson of Nepal Police, admits the smuggling of herbs to India through porous borders.
“Priceless herbs available in Nepal are mostly smuggled to India. Only small portions of the herbs are illegally sold in the third country,” said SSP Subedi.
Influential mafias, according to police, have a hand in smuggling. They, residing in India, smuggle Nepal’s herbs to various countries via India.
Herbs are seized when setting fails
Herbs are collected from Nepal’s hilly districts, including Kalikot, Mugu, Humla, Jumla, Dolpa, Jajarkot, Darchula, and Bhajhang. Locals collect herbs in cahoots with the forest officials, local representatives and police despite government’s ban on the collection of such herbs.
“Herbs are smuggled in cahoots with locals, local representatives and police,” an official at the Ministry of Forests and Environment told Khabarhub on the condition of anonymity.
The herbs are seized when a disgruntled police official informs the higher authority about it after he is deprived of his pie.
According to herbs trader, the herbs are seized when setting among the local representatives, forest officials and police fails.
Nepali pharmaceutical deprived of herbs
With the Nepal government’s ban on the collection of some certain herbs, Nepal pharmaceutical companies are facing the shortage of herbs, entrepreneurs said.
Government-owned Sindha Durbar Vaidyakhana Development Committee had called for a quotation seeking 91 items of herbs in the fiscal year 2016/17. However, only 40 items of herbs were made available.
A quotation seeking 300 kilograms of Hadchur had been announced in the fiscal year 2017/18.
Vaidyakhana has not been able to meet the demands of Ayurvedic medicines due to the shortage of herbs, said Hari Prasad Yadav, acting chief of Vaidyakhana Development Committee.
No conservation despite the ban
The government has not taken any initiation to protect invaluable herbs despite a ban imposed on their collection.
These rare species of herbs are going to be extinct if not protected by the government. The unbridled smuggling has posed a serious threat to the herbs.
Besides, fire, deforestation are the other causes leading to the disappearance of such priceless herbs.
“The government has to either bring concrete plans to protect these herbs or lift the ban on their collection,” said a trader.
KATHMANDU: A proposal of public importance related to Health Insurance has been tabled in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives.
Khagaraj Adhikari put forth the proposal which was seconded by Anjana Bisankhe and Man Kumari GC. Tabling the proposal, Adhikari demanded to implement health insurance program in all seven provinces in order to address the problems in health sector and to implement the rights mentioned in the constitution.
He said that the health insurance program was implemented during his appointment as the Health Minister. Similarly, Bisankhe and GC demanded for effective implementation of health insurance program for a well functioning federal system.
HoR Secretary, Gopalnath Yogi tabled the bill related to State Public Service Commission (Basis and Criteria Determination) – 2075.
NEW DELHI: The Indian airstrike in Pakistani territory this morning killed at least 300 suspected militants, news agencies said quoting an unnamed senior Indian official.
The Indian strikes on a training camp of a Pakistani-based militant group this morning have escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars.
On Tuesday morning, Indian Air Force (IAF) jets crossed the Line of Control and destroyed terror camps in Pakistan, according to reports.
Reports said the IAF used laser-guided bombs in the air strike that lasted for 21 minutes. (Agencies)
BHARATPUR: Parbati Shah Thakuri, deputy mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, has accused its Mayor Renu Dahal of being involved in corruption. Thakuri blamed the Mayor for not forming Public Accounts Committee, constituting important committees unilaterally and creating problems for employees thanks to political prejudices.
Similarly, she blamed her for not coordinating with her in operating executive meeting. In a press meet called by the deputy mayor here today, Thakuri narrated about the problems she encountered in the course of fulfilling her duties and responsibilities towards the municipality. “The agendas of the executive meeting have been brought in an unilateral manner. I am not informed about the meeting and its agenda on time. I am not even allowed to put forth my dissatisfaction,” she complained.
The Deputy Mayor complained that the Metropolitan City has not assigned sufficient number of technicians and employees as mentioned in the local-government operation act.
KATHMANDU: Lawmakers have asked the government to beef up security in the country.
Speaking at the ‘zero hour’ of the House of Representatives today, the lawmakers also asked the government to improve the law and order situation.
Likewise, they also raised their voices demanding that the government increased subsidies in agriculture sector, prioritized the construction of road and other infrastructures, among other issues.
Also today, some lawmakers drew the government’s attention about the Dharke-Sitapaila road, which they said could be an alternative to Naubise-Nagdhunga road.