KATHMANDU: Main opposition Nepali Congress has sought government’s official stance on Venezuela crisis.

Speaking at the special hour of the parliament today, Nepali Congress lawmakers Dila Sangraula and Bhimsen Das Pradhan sought government’s official stance referring to the divergent views coming from Prime Minister K P Oli and Nepal Communist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the Venezuela’s political crisis.

Seeking Prime Minister’s clarification, lawmaker Pradhan queried, “What is the official view? Whom should we trust – the Prime Minister or NCP Chairman Dahal?”

The Venezuela issue got into the agenda for discussion in the parliament at a time when the two contradictory views on Venezuela crisis expressed separately by Prime Minister Oli and Dahal triggered waves on the political spectrum.

Prime Minister Oli has earlier labeled Dahal’s statement as ‘a slip of tongue’ while Dahal asserted his to be the official stance of his party.

KATHMANDU: President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday administered oath of office and secrecy to three newly-appointed ambassadors.

The President administered oath of office to Amrit Bahadur Rai, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations and other International Organisations in New York, USA.

Likewise, she also administered oath of office and secrecy to Mani Prasad Bhattarai, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s Ambassador to Israel Anjan Shakya took oath of office and secrecy from the President.

CHITWAN: Chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday reiterated his stance over the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela.

He maintained that the statement on Venezuela crisis issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was on the same base and spirit as his statement.

Speaking at a press conference in Chitwan, Dahal dubbed his statement as ‘political’ and that it was issued with an objective of not tolerating any kind of external intervention on the internal affairs of any sovereign, independent country. He maintained that the statement on Venezuela crisis issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was on the same base and spirit as his statement.
On the occasion, Dahal also termed the joint press statement from various foreign countries on Nepal’s peace process as “irrelevant and unnecessary interest” of foreign diplomatic missions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Oli, speaking in a television program ion Wednesday, had said that Dahal made a gaffe by issuing the statement on Venezuela. On the occasion, he also informed that the issue came up during his meeting with US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry Tuesday evening. PM Oli labeled Dahal’s statement as a “little slip”.

KATHMANDU: Casinos operating in various places, including Kathmandu are yet to settle over Rs 1.32 billion in revenue.

Casinos, which were operated by flouting the government’s rules, had remained closed for a certain period of time. However, the casinos resumed their operation following the Supreme Court’s interim order not to close down the mini-casinos operated by three and four-star hotels.

According to the Casino Regulations 2013, casinos are required to renew their license every year by paying 50 percent of the operating license fee. Likewise, the operators are required to apply for the renewal a month before its expiry, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) stated.

While big casinos and mini-casinos are yet to settle their outstanding royalty of around Rs 20 million and Rs 10 million respectively.

According to the OAG report, five companies are yet to clear the arrears amounting to Rs 70 million in renewal fee this year. Casinos operators are required to pay an annual royalty of Rs 30 million as set by the Financial Act 2017-18.

Currently, a total of 29 casinos are yet to clear a total of Rs 290 million dues, according to Bishnu Prasad Rijal, the spokesperson at the OAG. However, the Department of Tourism has not taken action against them.

While big casinos and mini-casinos are yet to settle their outstanding royalty of around Rs 20 million and Rs 10 million respectively.

Sources at the Department of Tourism said only those casinos operating by taking advantage of the SC interim order have been found flouting the rules. The OAG has accused the Department of Tourism of failing to take action against them.

Director General of the Department of Tourism, Dhundi Raj Ghimire states, “It is, in fact, challenging to collect revenue from the casinos. Earlier, the Internal Revenue Department was collecting revenues from casinos. Currently, the Department of Tourism collects revenue from the casinos.”

Ghimire claimed that there have been some positive indications since he took charge as the Director General of the Department of Tourism. The Department has raised a total of 1.13 billion so far, including Rs 660 million last year.

It has also been revealed that casinos are being operated from four places with a single license. As per the provision in the Finance Act, a casino can be operated from only one place with a single license.

The following casinos are yet to clear the outstanding dues, and have been operating for the last two and a half years following the Supreme Court’s interim order.

Hotel Yak and Yeti Casino

Radisson Hotel Casino Rad

Casino Rock International

Happy Hour Mini Casino

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KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress is holding its central working committee (CWC) meeting at party central office, Sanepa, this afternoon.
NC Spokesperson Biswo Prakash Sharma said that the meeting will would basically dwell on Mahasamiti-endorsed statute of the party, Nepal Student Union working committee and other contemporary issues.
The Mahsamiti meeting of the NC had endorsed its statute in a way that the central working committee could amend the main law incorporating inputs and deliberations on it. The Mahasamiti had earlier recommended that the central member should be elected at ward level of the party structure and arrangement of reservation should be one time for one person in the party.
Likewise, the tenure of the Nepal Student Union central working committee had expired on January 16 so discussion would be held on NSU affairs.
Besides, the meeting would discuss government’s performances and contemporary political affairs, Sharma stated.

KATHMANDU: Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s statement on the Venezuelan political crisis has drawn flak from the main opposition, Nepali Congress.

Labeling Dahal’s statement as “immature,” the NC lambasted the ruling party of issuing a statement that is “against Nepal’s national interest.” A parliamentary party meeting of the party on Sunday criticized Dahal’s strong-worded statement, which had earlier slammed the US government for intervening in the internal affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

A statement issued after the meeting said that the NC expresses serious concern over Dahal’s stance on the Venezuelan political crisis. Meanwhile, addressing the parliament, NC youth leader Gagan Thapa came down heavily on the government and the Chairman of NCP for issuing an irresponsible and unwarranted statement on the political crisis in Venezuela. However, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has been defending Dahal’s statement saying that the political crisis in Venezuela has to be “resolved internally.”

Meanwhile, the US had inquired about the statement with Nepal’s ambassador to USA Arjun Karki at the Department of State in Washington DC. The US government, which dubbed Dahal’s statement as ‘unfair’ also sought clarification from some senior leaders of the ruling NCP asking whether Dahal’s statement reflected the government’s position.

Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) statement, which has stressed on the need for resolving the political crisis in Venezuela without “external interference” has failed to impress the US officials.

KATHMANDU: The government has appointed Nilambar Acharya, a former minister, as Nepal’s ambassador to India. President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Acharya to the post at the recommendation of the Council of Ministers as per the Article 282 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal on Sunday.

The post had been vacant after Deep Kumar Upadhyay stepped down from the post almost a year ago.

KATHMANDU: National Assembly (NA) meeting unanimously passed ‘Bill on Commission on Investigation Enforced Disappeared Persons and Truth and Reconciliation Commission (second amendment) -2075 BS’.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, had on Sunday presented the proposal seeking its approval at the NA.

The third meeting of Sunday’s NA meeting approved the bill. Similarly, the meeting also passed the proposal, seeking consideration on other five bills unanimously.

Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Thamamaya Thapa, presented the ‘Bill on Senior Citizen (first amendment)-2075 while Minister for Finance, Dr Yubraj Khatiwada presented ‘Bill on Pension Fund-2075’, ‘Bill on Payment and Clearance-2075’, ‘Bill on Citizen Investment Trust (second amendment)-2075.

Similarly, Minister for Communications and information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota, presented the proposal seeking consideration on ‘Advertisement (Regulation) Bill-2075’. The meeting passed the proposal unanimously. The NA will meet next on February 10.

RUKUM: Nepali Congress leader and former assistant minister Kesharman Roka and three others have been reported physically assaulted. The ex-minister and NC leader Dhruba Pun and Nepal Communist Party (NCP)’s Satman Pun and Puniraj Gharti Magar were beaten in the course of the banda called in Rukumkot of Rukum (east).
Chief District Officer Mitralal Sharma confirmed the incident in which the former minister suffered a minor injury in his neck and underwent medical treatment at the local medical facility. Roka said he had been in the district headquarters seeking a dialogue with agitators. Currently, Rukumkot is tense over the district headquarters issue.
Though the case regarding the dispute over the headquarters of Rukum (east) is under consideration, the debate is heating in the district. The group demanding that Rukumkot should be reinstated as the district headquarters have intensified the protest.
Transport services and market have remained totally closed since Friday over the same issue. It may be noted that the Nepali Congress-led government on January 25 last year decided to shift the district headquarters at Golkhada of Putha Utterganga rural municipality. The Rukumkot folks have been agitating against such decision. A writ was filed at the Supreme Court on January 31 the same year against the decision of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government.
In response to the writ, the SC gave an interim order to ensure the status quo. The apex court verdict caused to détente, but fresh programs of protests are in force since January 28 this year.

BAJURA: A team of members of Federal Parliament has arrived here to carry out an onsite study of the Chhaupadi custom. The team is here since the unfortunate demise of a mother and two sons following a fire incident inside a Chhau goth or hut. The team is led by House of Representatives Women and Social Development Sub-committee Coordinator Ganesh Singh Thagunna. Lal Bahadur Thapa, Amrita Thapamagar, Ganga Chaudhary, Bimala Nepali, Ruhinaz Mikrani are members of the team. Dilla Datt Pant from UNDP is also accompanying the team.

The team arrived here on Thursday and held an interaction on Chhau tradition and its impact with the local people’s representatives, heads of security agencies, NGO representatives, women and adolescent girls. As the problem of this harmful practice is found more in the far-west and Karnali provinces, we are here to make a field visit and try to stop women from being forced to live in cowshed, said MP Amrita Thapamagar.
Speaking at the discussion program, MP Ganga Chaudhary said the local police administration has been directed to take legal action against mothers, fathers, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband and anyone who is following this practice and forcing others to follow it.
Member of Parliament Lal Bahadur Thapa, who represents Bajura, said the local level government and the local political parties need to be more accountable to this. To start with, it should begin with the party organization committees of every political party, he added.
MP Mikrani expressed concern over the insult and violence being committed against our own daughters and daughters-in-law in a society that worship goddesses like Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati.
Likewise, MP Bimala Nepali said dismantling of the goth alone is not a solution of the problem, there needs to be a change in the mentality.
The team of parliamentarians is holding open discussion and interaction with the stakeholders in the district headquarters Martadi. “We are here to seek ways to end this harmful practice which is still being practiced and people losing their lives despite a law prohibiting it,” said the team coordinator MP Thagunna.