KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala has said the country will not in any way deviate from federalism and republicanism.
Instead, he said Nepali Congress should shoulder the responsibility of institutionalizing the federalism and republicanism, not look behind.
Speaking at a program in the capital today, Dr. Koirala said religion and politics should be seen separately. He suggested to finalize the issue of secularism through an act.
He also smelt rat on the current activities of the President, who is ceremonial. “We are worried, seriously with the role of the President and the activities,” he said adding that the country would undergo unfortunate circumstances if the President tried to be active.
KATHMANDU: The police have arrested a journalist for writing ‘fake news’.
A team from the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu arrested Gaurab Khanal of Kapilvastu district from Rupandehi district on Wednesday for writing ‘fake news’ about bomb explosions in various 10 places of the central capital city. Khanal is affiliated with news website Aawaj.com.
The Kathmandu district court has extended his judicial remand by five days and investigations are ongoing, said Hobindra Bogati, spokesperson of Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu.
RUPANDEHI: Two persons died in separate accidents in Rupandehi in course of celebrating holi festival on Thursday.
Dilip Thapa, 26, of Mainamaina municipality-8 died when the motorcycle (Lu 25 Pa 6809) Thapa was riding over turned due to over speeding at Kanchan rural municipality-1, said Chief at District Police Office, Rupandehi, Hridaya Thapa. Dilip was returning home after celebrating holi.
Similarly, a person of around 25 years died when two motorcycles– (Lu 34 Pa 3435) heading towards Bhairahawa from Parasi and (Lu 32 Pa 4244) coming from opposite direction collided with each other at Basantapur of Bhairahawa.
The identity of the deceased has not been ascertained yet. Similarly, motorcyclist of the motorcycle (Lu 32 Pa 4244) was injured in the incident and he is undergoing treatment at Bhim Hospital, Bhairahawa, said police.
Meanwhile, police have taken into custody 49 people for carrying out indecent activities as well as violating traffic rules from different places of the district in course of celebrating holi.
BUTWAL: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to inaugurate two big projects in Rupandehi district today. The projects are the Government Medical College Office and Upgrading of Butwal-Narayangadh section under the East-West Highway. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Government Medical College Office at Naya Mill, Tilottama municipality-1 at 11 am, the office chief Man Bahadur Ghimire said.
Also on Friday, PM Oli will lay the foundation for the project to upgrade Butwal-Narayangadh section of the East-West highway near Butwal Mandap at Butwal Sib-Metropolitan City-8 at 12.30 pm.
Nepal Communist Party (NCP) general secretary and former Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had made special contribution in bringing both projects in the district. The feasibility study of the road upgrading project has already been carried out.
The 113 kilometres long Butwal-Narayangadh section of the highway would be improved within the next three and half years and works have been planned accordingly, said Suresh Neupane, the chief engineer of the Project’s west section.
The road distance would be reduced nearly by half the present distance between Butwal and Narayangadh with the completion of the road upgrading project. It is three hours’ drive from Butwal to Narayangadh at present. This distance can be covered in at least one and hour to 1 hour 50 minutes by vehicle once the 113 kilometers road section is upgraded into a four-lane road.
The road upgrading project would be completed at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 17 billion. Eighty-five per cent of the cost would be covered by the concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the remaining cost would be borne by Government of Nepal.
The ADB Road Directorate under the Department of Roads has signed an agreement with the China State Construction Company for the road upgrading project.
GORKHA: A group of dogs has killed a leopard at a jungle of Palungtar Municipality-9 in Gorkha district on Thursday.
Imanath Poudel, chief of the Gandaki State Division Forest Office, said that a dog also died in the incident. He said, ‘A group of dogs killed the leopard that had come to a goat farm in search of food.’
The dogs attacked the leopard as it was chased back into the nearby jungle, from where it came. A leopard and a dog were found dead in the jungle, added Poudel.
Six dogs had reportedly chased the leopard from the goat farm run by a local Fuchung Lama. Similarly, two dogs were also injured in the incident.
KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has instructed all local levels to have fire engines round-the-clock.
The instruction has been made keeping in view the onset of stormy season.
The Ministry has instructed the local levels issuing a six-point directive.
The local levels have also been urged to repair the existing fire engines on time and mobilize them as soon as the fire breaks out.
KATHMANDU: The government today called the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) for dialogue.
Making public the cabinet decisions on Thursday, government spokesperson Gokul Baskota said that the government was ready for talks to end violence in the country.
Bastola said arms and weapons cannot be the solution, and Nepal–the land of Lord Buddha– needs peace and prosperity.
“Let’s not go for violence or war,” he said adding Nepali people are not in favor of yet another insurgency.
Likewise, Baskota, who is also the Minister for Communication and Information Technology defended the National Security Policy-2075 saying that the issues of national need, strengthening nationality of the country were incorporated in the policy.
On another issue, Minister Banskota said the government has not received any formal proposal relating to the formation of a new Gurkha Battalion by the British government.
KATHMANDU: Nepal Army (NA) has raised concerns over some media reports which carried news reports on mobilization of the army to quell the Biplav-led party cadres.
The NA, in a statement, has accused some media of disseminating false news by quoting “confidential government sources”.
It has asked all army personnel not to be misled with such false news saying that the NA operates as per the country’s constitution, Army Act and the government’s order.
KATHMANDU: Private medical colleges have agreed to return the amount they ‘overcharged’ from the students.
The colleges have also agreed to give students deprived of filling up the exam form earlier a second chance till tomorrow to complete the process.
Infuriated student unions on last Tuesday had padlocked the offices of Tribhuvan University (TU) vice chancellor and Institute of Medicine (IoM)’s dean’s office, alleging them of turning deaf ears towards the students’ demands.
A joint meeting of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; TU vice chancellor Dr Tirtharaj Khaniya; representatives of Gandaki Medical College and KIST Medical College, and the agitating students held today concluded with the agreements.
With the agreement, two agitating students unions — All Nepal National Free Students Union and the All Nepal Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) — have been convinced to unlock the padlocks.
KATHMANDU: Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has instructed all local levels to collect details of the unemployed people at the respective local level.
Under-secretary at the Prime Minister Employment Program Section at the Ministry, Dr Loknath Bhusal has issued the directive to all the local levels through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.
The Ministry has assigned the employment coordinator at all the local levels for collecting the particulars of the unemployed people at each local level.
According to Bhusal, local bodies, where the employment coordinator has not been assigned, are directed to mobilize one of their employees to collect the particulars of the unemployed.
The government has mobilized the employment coordinators to 485 local levels. The process of assigning the coordinator in remaining local levels has been forwarded.
The government has already called for registering the names of the unemployed persons at the local levels by April 13.
The government has made provisions for guaranteeing a minimum of 100 days’ employment to the unemployed person in one fiscal year. If the 100 days’ employment cannot be granted to a person, the government shall give 50 per cent of the remuneration as living allowance for the number of days unemployed.