- Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Kathmandu, April 14: The Supreme Court has issued an order, asking the Speaker of Sudurpaschim Province Assembly not to implement its decision to expel Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) leader Indira Giri from the post of Province Assembly member.
A single bench of Justice Prakashman Singh Raut on Sunday issued the interim order staying the Province Assembly secretariat notice that relieved Giri from the post.
The interim order stated that petitioner Giri was not given a chance of hearing from her before issuing notice of her dismissal. The Province Assembly secretariat had issued the notice of her dismissal upon the direction of Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari on April 8.
Speaker Bhandari had acted upon the letter submitted to him by NUP Chair Ranjita Shrestha that she recalled Giri from the post. Giri is a representative on proportional category.
The SC ordered not to proceed with the action on Giri till settlement of the writ petition.
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Health insured to bear 20 percent of treatment cost
Kathmandu, Apr 14: The Health Insurance Board has informed that those insured under the health insurance programme are made responsible to bear 20 percent cost on their own while receiving treatment at private and community hospitals.
Executive Director at Board, Dr Damodar Basaula, informed that those insured under the scheme would bear 20 percent of total expanse made in the treatment from today. This new provision would discourage the insured ones to undergo nonessential health tests. Only sick and insured ones would be benefited with the new provision, according to him.
Earlier, the health insured people were liable to bear 10 percent of spending in treatment at community hospital and 20 percent of spending at private hospitals.
Executive Director Dr Basaula however informed that the scheme would not be enforced in the basic hospitals of 15 beds. The co-sharing of the treatment cost will be effective in the federal and provincial hospitals, private and community hospitals, and medical colleges where specialist service is available.
A total of 77,41,483 people have joined the insurance scheme. Among them, 3.6 million are receiving benefit, while number of those yet to renew facility is 4.8 million.
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Ministers pledge handicrafts promotion in Bagmati Province
Kathmandu, April 14: Three ministers in Bagmati Province government expressed their solidarity for the promotion of handicrafts.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Cooperatives Shailendra Man Bajracharya, Minister for Forest and Environment Keshav Prasad Pokharel and Minister for Industry, Commerce, Land and Administration Prakash Shrestha reaffirmed their commitment for the same at a programme organized by the Federation of Handicrafts Associations of Nepal (FHAN) here Sunday.
Among the pledges they made were increasing use of handicrafts in the provincial ministry’s offices and their subordinate agencies, endorsing bill pertaining to establishment of Handicraft Village and Operation in parliament, allocating adequate budget for handicraft sector in the upcoming fiscal year, approving and implementing handicraft policy and providing forest-based raw materials to manufacture handicrafts among others, it was shared.
On the occasion, President of FHAN, Prachanda Shakya, urged the ministers for earliest endorsement of the bills related to establishment of handicrafts villages and operation which is currently under deliberation in the Bagmati Province Assembly.
The Federation also drew the attention of the provincial government for operating SAARC Handicraft Development Centre, conducting handicrafts trade fairs and establishing the Handicraft University among others.
Similarly, Founding President of the FHAN, Sagar Shumsher Rana, opined that the provincial government could support the cause of promotion of handicrafts in the Bagmati region that, according to him, had tremendous potential for handmade crafts.
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Two children buried in mound
Dang, April 14: Two children in Dang district died from the injuries they received after getting buried in a mound accidently on Sunday.
The deceased were 12-year-old Ashish Chaudhary of Andrabharaiya of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City-9 and 12-year-old Madhav Chaudhary from the same place, according to the District Police Office (DPO), Dang.
DPO Dang’s Chief and Superintendent of Police (SP) Ram Bahadur KC shared that incident took place when four children had been to Babai riverbank some 500 metres away their house to play. But two of them got buried in the mound.
Among three children who fell into a ditch, one remained unscathed while two sustained critical injuries. The buried two children were rescued and rushed to Rapti Health Sciences in Ghorahi for treatment, but doctors declared them dead, informed SP KC.
Further investigation into the incident is underway. The dead bodies have been kept at the Hospital for post-mortem, police said.
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Australian mountaineer scales Mt Annapurna-I without oxygen
Kathmandu, April 14: Australian mountaineer, Alliee Pepper successfully scaled Mt Annapurna-I without the use of supplementary oxygen.
However, the officials are yet to verify the information. Pepper, 47, conquered the world’s 10th tallest peak at 12:07 PM on Sunday, according to the Chairman of Seven Summit Treks Company, Minga Sherpa.
The Company said tour guides Michael Sherpa and Nima Sherpa accompanied the Australian climber. Earlier, 17 years old Nepali mountaineer Rinzi Sherpa also scaled the same peak on April 12 without the use of supplementary oxygen.
Likewise, Director of Tourism Department Rakesh Gurung said information was received on the successful ascend to Annapurna-I by two persons without the use of supplementary oxygen. Gurung said, “Climbing to Mt Annapurna-I is happening in a large number after the success in rope fixing.”
“Information has been received about two persons climbing (Mt Annapurna-I) without the use of supplementary oxygen. We are yet to verify this officially,” Gurung added. Pepper has planned to climb the world’s 14 peaks above 8000 metres within two years and has successfully climbed three mountains so far including Mt Annapurna-I.
After her ascend to Mt Annapurna-I, Pepper is all set to scale Mt Kanchanjungha and Mt Makalu. She started climbing mountains in 2007 after scaling Mt Choyu then without oxygen from China’s Tibet side.
According to the Department, as many as 25 climbers including 11 women and 14 men of three expedition teams have taken permit to climb Mt Annapurna-I in this spring season.
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Woman crushed to death in thresher machine
Mahendranagar, April 14: A woman died on Sunday after being crushed in a running thresher machine at Bhimdutta Municipality, Kanchanpur.
Kausha Devi Joshi, 42, of Bhimdutta Municipality-9 died being crushed in a wheat harvester machine fixed with a tractor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Kanchanpur Umesh Joshi said. DSP Joshi said further investigations into the case are initiated.
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Fine Arts exhibition kicks off
Kathmandu, April 14: The Nepal Academy of Fine Arts has begun an exhibition of arts at its premises in Naxal.
The Academy has named the weeklong exhibition as ‘Himalayako Rahasya’ and ‘Srijanabriti’. Academy’s Chancellor Naradmani Hartamchhai inaugurated the exhibition that depicts the serious impacts of climate change on Nepal’s Himalayas and others.
The arts put in the section of ‘Himalayako Rahasya’ (the mystery of Himalayas) shows the serious impacts of climate change on the mountains and mountain lives.
Likewise, Srijanabriti (career in creative works) is aimed at promoting the winners of National Fine Arts, 2080 BS. On the occasion, Chancellor Hartamchhali said the exhibition was organized to highlight the artist’s role in saving the Himalayas.
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Pay heed to small enterprises at investment summit: Former PM Bhattarai
Kathmandu, April 14: Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has viewed small and medium scale enterprises should be paid adequate attention at investment summit.
During a programme organized at Nepal Academy on Sunday, the former PM said the government could list the prioritized area for comprehensive discussion in the summit. Bhattarai was speaking at an interaction on ‘impact of foreign investment in Nepal’s socioeconomic sector’.
“Even the small businesspersons are leaving country in recent days. So, the investment summit must be utilized as a moment to create conducive atmosphere so that all businesspersons could be retained,” he reminded.
The areas that ensure benefits should be identified and made investment accordingly, he said, adding that development of human resources and technology are equally important for industrial progress. He also pointed out the need of serious debate on how the economy could be recovered in the wake of recession.
Uniformity in understanding of economic problems helps us what to explore. Capitalist market must be dynamic, Bhattarai underscored. Promotion of exports, agriculture, education and health sectors are other important pillars of development.
“Exodus of Plus Two graduates is worrying trend. Guarantee of quality education is must within country,” he emphasized. The former PM suggested the government that it invested 40 percent of its GDP in development activities. Green energy is also present need in Nepal, he reminded.
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New power equation for right direction: UML
Kathmandu, April 14: The CPN UML secretariat meeting has drawn conclusion that the new power equation had directed the country towards right track.
Party Deputy General-Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said it while sharing about the meeting convened at party office in Lalitpur on Sunday.
The meeting also concluded that the incumbent government, in which UML is a coalition partner, should further scale up its effort to kindle hope among people. The meeting also set the agenda of the national general convention representatives’ council meeting to be held on April 20-21.
The general convention to be held at Godawari, Lalitpur would witness around 25,000 participants including 2,153 general assembly representatives, informed Deputy General-Secretary Gyawali. During the convention, various reports such as political, organizational, election commission, account commission, discipline commission and advisor council would be presented while participants would discuss making UML a decisive force in the upcoming parliamentary election.
Similarly, today’s meeting decided to celebrate UML’s 75th anniversary with host of programmes such as documentary screening, Jhulaghat to Chiwa Bhangjyang hiking and musical events.
Party leaders and cadres contributing notably to the party would be honoured on the anniversary of the party, it was shared. The party has adopted a resolution to make Nepal a developed country.
According to Gyawali, the meeting decided to forge cooperation among the coalition partners in the provincial level as done at federal level.
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Indian Army’s Lieutenant General calls on CoAS Sharma
Kathmandu, April 14: Lieutenant General of Indian Army Pradeep Chandran Nair AK Singh has held a courtesy meeting with Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma.
In the meeting held at the at the Nepali Army’s headquarters in Kathmandu on Sunday, the two discussed furthering bilateral ties between India and Nepal. Similarly, Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair also called on Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava at the Embassy of India in Nepal.
Nair arrived in Kathmandu on April 8 for an official visit, according to the Indian Embassy in Nepal. During his visit, the General visited Bharatiya Gorkha Sainik Niwas, Pension Paying Office, Pokhara and Pension Paying Office in Dharan, the Embassy said in a press statement.
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