Govt forms team to negotiate with ADB for soft loan

            Kathmandu, Sept 12: The government has formed a five-member ream headed by Ministry of Finance International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division (IECCD) to hold dialogue with Asian Development Bank for soft loan of Rs 11.5 billion.

            The talk team was formed to negotiate regarding concessional loan assistance of Rsd 5.75 billion for Food Safety and Agriculture Commercialization Programme and Rs 5.75 billion for Rural Enterprises Financing Project.

            At a press meet at Singha Durbar today, government spokesperson and ministry of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota informed this while disclosing the Cabinet decisions.

            The meeting of the Council of Ministers took the decisions on September 8. The meeting also endorsed the vacancy of the employees required for different projects and programmes.

            The cabinet has endorsed the vacancy of 25 temporary employees in One Stop Service Centre for the fiscal year 2076/77 BS. The government has approved the vacancy for 260 employees for the programme under the Department of Water Resource Irrigation, 56 for Truth and Reconciliation Commission, 23 for Commission for Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons.

Likewise, the government endorsed vacancy of 272 employees for programme under Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and 19 for Livestock Sector Innovation Project, 58 employees for various programme under Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 65 employees for projects under Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, shared Spokesperson Banskota.

            The cabinet has extended the tenure of probe committee of Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau formed to implement the probe committee report on land occupied by government and Guthi. The tenure has been extended for two months to remain valid up to October 15. Its term was expired on 13 August.

            Accoridng to the information minister, the government has extended the timeline of a commission formed to probe Biratnagar Jute Mill for a month from September 3.

            The government has decided to grant permission to use forest for various purposes. Minister Banskota informed that the meeting decided to lease out 3,935 hectares of forest land at Timile of Bangchuli Rural Municipality in Dang district to Shubha Shree Agni Cement for excavation of raw materials for ten years and 5 hectare land from Thara Gaun in the same rural municipality to Samrat Cement for 15 years.

            Likewise, the meeting decided to lease out 0.48 hectares of forest land in Rupandehi district to expand the structures for 132-kv Butwal ( Gorusinghe-Lumbini ) transmission line to the Nepal Electricity Authority.

            Similarly, decision was made to lease out 16.761 hectarea of forest land in parts of Rupandehi district for the expansion of 132-kv  Burtibang-Paudiamarai-Tamghas-Sandhikharka-Gorusinghe transmission line for 25 years.

            Today’s meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to declare police constable Sanjiv Rai who died in line of duty. The family of Rai will be provided Rs 1 million as a compensation.

            Rai was shot dead by the Netra Bikran Chand “Biplov”-led Nepal Communist Party in Bhojpur some time ago.

            A revolving fund worth Rs 50 million will be set up for organizing and managing Indra Jatra festival. The decision to this effective was made in today’s meeting, Banskota said.

            Federal government will provide Rs 10.5 million to set up the fund while province no 3 government will chip in Rs 10 million for the same.

            Likewise, Kathmandu Metropolitan City will dole out Rs 20 million for the same and Guthi Sansthan will contribute Rs 5 million for this cause, according to Banskota.

            A decision was made to consider a raise in remuneration of the staffers at the additional postal offices since new fiscal year 2019/20.

            The meeting has decided to appoint State-5 Chief Secretary Toyanath Gyawali to a gazetted senior level post to the Nepal Administration Service (cluster).

            The meeting also decided to assign Nepal Army to construct 14-km of rocky part along the Khandbari-Kimathanka road. A decision was made to publish the notice in the Nepal gazette urging one and all not to strike or protest in the offices rendering the public services.

The meeting also decided to grant permission for launching vacancy for 15 gazette post on temporary basis needed for the National Youth Council for the current fiscal year.