- Sunday, 17 November 2024
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has directed the Patan Academy of Health Sciences for managing the challenges emerged in the health sector.
Addressing the 12th Assembly of PAHS here today, he urged the office-bearers of the Academy for developing additional infrastructures and making the hospital’s services of quality and effective.
The PM said development and prosperity is not possible until the common citizen is healthy, stressing on the need of making quality and accessible health services accessible to all citizens.
“The country’s economic and social transformation is possible when the citizens are fit and healthy,” he said.
Stating that it is the best initiative on the part of the Academy to provide community-based services, the Prime Minister, who is also the Chancellor of PAHS, suggested that the Academy should further make its programmes stronger by incorporating similar programmes.
He said, “I want to draw the attention of the Ministry of Health and Population to forward such type of programmes from other academics and educational institutions.”
Stating that most of Nepal’s territory is occupied by rural areas, PM Dahal pointed out the need of expanding health service access to rural level by producing skilled health worker motivated by the spirit of social responsibility in order to provide quality healthcare service in rural areas.
He explained, “I direct the Academy to improve its services so as to benefit significantly the citizens who are lagging behind in the human development index and have less access to quality health services.”
Prime Minister Dahal lauded the contribution of Patan Academy of Health Sciences in overall health sector including health service, health education and carrying out health related scientific research.
Minister for Health and Population, Member of National Planning Commission, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City and Vice-Chancellors of different academies were present on the occasion.
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Heart checkup camp, health awareness programme organised
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Renewal Energy Confederation of Nepal (RECoN) organised heart checkup camp and health awareness related programmes here on the occasion of First International Day of Clean Energy.
The RECoN under “RI Sector Health Checkup and Awareness Programme’ organised the programme with the collaboration of Nepal Cardiac Centre.
Senior cardiologist Dr Om Murti Anil and his team carried out heart checkup of around 100 people.
On the occasion, Dr Anil explained the participants about the risk of heart disease and precautions to be adopted to reduce it, asking to give up the trend taking regular medication as unnecessary burden and adopting alternative measures rather than consulting with health workers.
Sharing the information that risk of heart disease is increasing in Nepal due to unhealthy lifestyle, unhygienic food, no physical exercise, polluted environment, stress, and lack of interest in health awareness, he suggested adopting awareness.
Dr Anil stressed the need of regular health checkup on time and improvement in lifestyle as risk of health disease on youths in increasing in recent period. Dr Anil urged the renewable energy entrepreneurs also to pay attention towards the promoting the use of clean energy, as increasing the use of renewable will help reduce health risks.
Confederation president Gunaraj Dhakal shared that the heart check-up programme has been organised on the occasion of the First Clean Energy Day since the clean energy also has a role in reducing and preventing the heart diseases.
Office-bearers of Nepal Solar Power Producers Association, Nepal Micro Hydropower Development Institute, Nepal Biogas Promotion Association, the Water and Energy Consultants Association of Nepal, the Rural Technology Producers Association of Nepal, Nepal Solar Energy Association, the Bio-energy Entrepreneurs Association, Nepal and Biogas Sector Partnership Nepal, the professional organisations of the renewable energy sector participated in the programme.
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Jet boat service making journey to Bhojpur easier
Bhojpur, Jan 28: The operation of jet boat service in the Arun River has made travel to Tarai districts easier for the people of southern region of Bhojpur district.
Travelling by road to various Tarai districts from Bhojpur was difficult before this due to the lack of bridges over big rivers like Arun and Dudhkoshi. But this problem has been addressed with the operation of jet boat service daily from Kopche of Hatuwagadhi-9, except during the monsoon period.
Indra Thapa, a local, said people can now travel to places like Dharan, Itahari, Biratnagar and other places and return to their home by jet boat. According to him, operation of jet boat has made travel easier. When there was no jet boat transport available, people had to walk on the route through cliff for three to four hours to reach Chatara.
Thapa said the 19 kilometres distance up to Chatara is covered in 20 to 25 minutes by jet boat travel. “The operation of jet boat transport service has made travel much easier for the locals at present. Travel by road is difficult during the monsoon as there are no bridges over the major rivers. However, one can travel to Tarai towns and return home in a day these days with the operation of jet boat services,” he expressed.
The locals have to pay Rs 600 for the 19-kilometres jet boat travel. Another local, Lal Bahadur Pradhan said operation of jet boat in the Arun river here has made it easy also for taking the patients to hospitals as they can be taken to hospital fast.
Stating that it is only two kilometres to reach Tarai via Bhojpur headquarters, Leguwa, Hile and Dhankuta, Pradhan shared the operation of jet boat has shortened the travel time.
It has directly benefited locals of southern areas, he added. According to the rural municipality, the operation of jet boat has connected Bhojpur, Dhankuta and Sunsari with east Tarai.
Chairperson of the rural municipality, Prem Kumar Rai, mentioned that the municipality has been carrying out activities for the development of tourism infrastructures with a target of linking rafting with tourism.
With the operation of jet boat, the distance from Hatuwagadi to Tarai district has become very short which helps contribute in development of the district.
With this, activities are underway with an objective of development of tourism sites within the rural municipality incorporating the lowest land of Bhojpur district, Maibeni.
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World Leprosy Day being marked with various programmes today
Kathmandu, Jan 28: The World Leprosy Day is being observed across the country today by organising various public awareness programmes.
The theme for World Leprosy Day 2024 is “Beat Leprosy”, which encapsulates the dual objectives of the day: to eradicate the stigma associated with leprosy and to promote the dignity of people affected by the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The World Leprosy Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of January.
At a programme organised by the Department of Health Services here today on the occasion, Director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr Rudra Prasad Marasini, said many people are still suffering from leprosy in the world.
“Many people are still affected from leprosy in the world. They have been facing discrimination and lack of access to health services. Immediate efforts and commitment of the government and all bodies concerned are needed to eliminate the disease,” added Dr Marasini.
A French Philanthropist Raoul Follereau had started celebrating the World Leprosy Day from 1954 with an objective of preventing leprosy through proper treatment, controlling it through public awareness and ending discrimination against those suffering from leprosy disease.
Dr Prashanna Napit, the Head of Leprosy Control and Disability Management Section, said leprosy is rarely contagious disease caused by a microbe called Mycobacterium leprae.
Leprosy was declared eliminated as the public health problem at the national level in Nepal on January 19, 2010. This means that the prevalence of leprosy in Nepal was less than one in every 10,000 people. At that time, the prevalence rate of leprosy at the national level was 0.77 percent.
According to the Leprosy Control Section, this rate is 0.85 until the end of Fiscal Year 2022/23 while the leprosy prevalence rate is less than one person per 10,000 people in 14 districts.
The data shared by the Section shows that around 2,500 to 3,000 new leprosy patients are found in Nepal every year.
The government has been running programmes like searching for active leprosy cases, leprosy prevention, public awareness and capacity building, managing and rehabilitating the non-cooperative patients and the multi-drug management for controlling the disease.
World Neglected Tropical Disease Day
Similarly, the World Neglected Tropical Disease Day is also being marked today around the theme of ‘Unite. Act. Eliminate’.
World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is observed every year on 30 January
On World Neglected Tropical Disease Day 2024, WHO is calling on everybody, including leaders and communities, to unite and act to address the inequalities that drive neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and to make bold, sustainable investments to free the estimated 1.62 billion people, in the world’s most vulnerable communities, from a vicious cycle of disease and poverty.
The purpose of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is to raise the profile of neglected tropical diseases, the suffering they cause and to garner support towards their control, elimination and eradication, in line with the programmatic targets set out in the NTD road map 2021−2030 and the commitments of the 2022 Kigali declaration on neglected tropical diseases.
On 31 May 2021, the Seventy-fourth World Health Assembly recognized 30 January as World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day.
Neglected Tropical Diseases are communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical countries and affect more than one billion people. Global targets for 2030 and milestones are set out to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate a diverse set of 20 diseases and disease groups. They mainly affect populations living in poverty, in close contact with infectious vectors.
Besides leprosy, the other NTDs are Buruli Ulcer, Chagas Disease, Dengue and Chikungunya, Guinea-worm Disease, Echinococcosis, Foodborne Trematode Infections, Human African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness), Leishmaniasis, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantitis), Mycetoma, Onchocerciasis (River Blindness), Rabies, Scabies, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted Helminthiases, Snakebite Envenoming, Taeniasis and Cysticercosis, Trachoma, and Yaws.
Nepal has eliminated trachoma in 2018 and Kala-azar in 2016 while it has set target of eliminating elephantiasis, leprosy and rabies within 2023.
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RSS moving ahead towards ensuring right of citizens to be well informed: Chair Jha
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) Executive Chairperson Dharmendra Jha has said RSS is making its services more balances, credible and reliable so as to ensuring the citizen’s right to be well-informed.
He said so while addressing the fourth central convention and general meeting of the RSS Employees Association today.
Chairman Jha asserted that RSS’ service quality would be enhanced and it would be made effective with the optimum utilisation of the means and resources at the news agency’s disposal. Stating that an organisation’s standing and importance is enhanced only if it is strong and credible, he directed all the journalists and employees of RSS to work responsibly to that end.
“RSS’ main responsibility is news service. An environment has been created wherein more and more RSS news are used by the media. The news diversity and quality have been enhanced, and more priority is given to soft news and investigative news. The service recipients have liked the RSS latest contents and they have been expressing positive response,” Chair Jha said.
He reiterated that RSS has initiated institutional reforms and consolidation of its services with the coordination and collaboration of the news agency’s employees’ organisations.
RSS General Manager Siddha Raj Rai maintained that the management is vigorously working to rendering the services prompt, of quality and more efficient through the maximum utilization of resources at its disposal. He further added that the management has continuously taken ahead the career development of the news agency’s employees.
On the occasion, Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) RSS chapter president Pabitra Guragain, RSS Employees Union president Kalika Khadka, Nepal National Employees Organisation RSS chapter president Prem Prasad Upadhyaya underlined the constructive role of the employees unions and organisations in enhancing the news agency’s prestige and the quality of its services.
The Association convention will choose a new executive committee.
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Process to enlist Panauti in list of World Heritage Sites in final stage
Kavrepalanchowk, Jan 28: Panauti, a historical, religious, cultural and archeological city in Kavrepalanchowk, has reached the final stage of being enlisted in the World Heritage Sites.
The works to complete the criteria of UNESCO to enlist specially ward no 7 of Panauti has reached the final phase, according to Panauti city.
The UNESCO had proposed to enlist the area in the list of World Heritage Sites. All necessary processes which are to be fulfilled before enlisting in the World Heritage Sites have reached the final stage, it is said.
Mayor of Panauti municipality, Ram Sharan Bhandari, said the necessary document would be sent to UNSECO through Department of Archeology as most of the criteria of UNESCO have been fulfilled.
Bhandari added preparation was underway for the discussion in local-level about whether or not the community could preserve the area.
Christian Manhurt, Head of the UNESCO Office in Nepal, had inspected historical, religious and archeological heritages of Panauti after activities were forwarded to enlist Panauti in the World Heritage Sites in 2079 BS.
The Panauti municipality had forwarded a process by allocating necessary budget after Manhurt informed the local people’s representatives that UNESCO was ready to enlist shrines, temples and houses having uniqueness in the list of the World Heritage Sites.
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Legal basis is needed for monitoring and evaluation of development works: Minister Sharma
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said a legal basis is required for monitoring and evaluating the development and construction projects operated in the country.
Taking part in discussions on the principles of the Monitoring and Evaluation Bill, 2076 BS in a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, the House of Representatives (HoR), today, she said the bill has been brought to provide the legal basis for the monitoring and evaluation conducted by the Prime Minister Office, the National Planning Commission and the related government ministries.
The bill originated in the National Assembly was amended by the upper house thematic committee and later passed by the Assembly. It along with a report was sent to the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Federal Parliament. The HoR forwarded the bill to the Committee for further enriching the document.
The bill has been brought in the context of lack of clear legal provisions as to which of the three tiers of the government carries out the monitoring and evaluation of which development projects with the formation of the three layers of government of late.
Minister Sharma argued that the bill was brought as it had become necessary to put in place specific legal system in the context of the local, provincial and federal governments also running and monitoring the development projects.
At present, the National Development Council chaired by the Prime Minister and the minister-level development council, and the provincial and local levels have been carrying out the monitoring in their own way. This is the current practice.
The proposed bill has incorporated a provision allowing for a third party to conduct the monitoring and evaluation. Some new mechanisms have also been proposed for the monitoring and evaluation.
Minister Sharma stated that the bill should incorporate topics like the modality, the kind of policy provisions and the structural system for the monitoring and evaluation of projects to be operated by all the three tiers of the government.
Stating that it was necessary to include the issues in the bill how to give legal recognition and legitimacy in order to make monitoring effective, she mentioned that regular monitoring and evaluation of the projects are the importance and specialty of the bill.
With the passage of the bill, policy-level arrangement and criteria related to monitoring as well as basis of monitoring and evaluation of development projects would be determined, added Minister Sharma.
Members expressed their views that projects could not be completed within deadline as per the agreement due to corruption and anomalies in infrastructure constriction.
Pradeep Poudel, who amended the bill, said there was no alternative to bring the guilty under the ambit of law to end the trend of not completing the national pride projects on time.
He shared, “There will be a big challenge in development of the country if the problem of not completing the development projects within deadline will not be addressed on time. State structured and contractors should be made accountable making alternative mechanism for monitoring and evaluation.”
Committee members– Raghuji Panta, Dilendra Prasad Badu, and Hemraj Rai, expressed their views on the occasion.
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NA Election report submitted to President Paudel
Kathmandu, Jan 28: The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday submitted a report of the recently held National Assembly (NA) election to President Ramchandra Paudel. The NA election was held in all seven provinces on January 25 to elect 19 NA members.
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya submitted the report amid a function in the President House, Sheetal Niwas.
Spokesperson at the Office of the President, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, said that EC submitted the report on National Assembly Election, 2080 along with the election result as per the clause 60 of the NA Election Act, 2075 BS.
Present on the occasion were, Election Commissioners Ram Prasad Bhandari, Dr Janaki Kumara Tuladhar, Sagun Shumsher JBR and Secretary Surya Prasad Gautam.
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Police adjustment process to be forwarded soon
Kathmandu, Jan 28 : The stakeholders have discussed the ideas to take forward police personnel adjustment process at the earliest possible.
The issue was discussed at a meeting held at Singhadurbar in Kathmandu today, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha and provinces’ internal affairs ministers.
Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Spokesperson at the Ministry of Home Affairs, shared that the meeting has decided to augment collaboration and cooperation between the federal Ministry for Home Affairs and concerned security related provincial ministries.
Drawing the conclusion to further maintain law and order in the country, the meeting decided to update the Police Adjustment Act and Nepal Police and Provincial Police (Operation, Supervision and Coordination) in the timely manner and accelerate formulation of Nepal Police Act, Local Administration Act that are important for maintaining law and order, said Spokesperson Bhattarai.
Today’s decision would be presented to the National Coordination Council presided over by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on January 31, informed Bhattarai.
Bagmati Province’s Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Ganga Narayan Shrestha expressed his displeasure to the pending adjustment of police personnel that is taking long time despite the fact that Acts related police adjustment and operation, supervision and coordination among the provincial police organization were issued in 2073 BS.
Minister Shrestha, however, demonstrated his confidence that the upcoming meeting of the Council would finalize the adjustment process.
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National Council meeting of Press Centre begins
Kathmandu, Jan 28 : The National Council meeting of the Press Centre Nepal has kicked off today in Birgunj.
Around 500 representatives including central office-bearers, central committee members, province office-bearers, district chairs and others are present in the meeting.
Centre’s General Secretary Santosh Poudel said that the meeting is scheduled to discuss the organizational report, financial report, draft of the statute amendment and the upcoming election of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ).
He said that there will be clause-wise discussions in the agendas by making the province-wise groups. Likewise, the Centre is marking its 20th establishment day in Birgunj on Monday.
Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is also scheduled to attend event, Poudel said.
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‘Chinese cooperation important for Nepal’s prosperity’
Kathmandu, Jan 28: National Assembly (NA) Vice-Chairperson Urmila Aryal has said that China’s cooperation was important for Nepal’s prosperity and development.
Addressing the Joint Consultation Conference of Nepalese political parties and Communist Party of China (CPC) on Sunday, Vice-Chairperson Aryal said the close engagements and increased communication and cooperation between Nepal and China have been instrumental in further consolidating our relations “bound by mountains and rivers, and stay as close as lips and teeth.
On the occasion, she said that it is our joint responsibility to foster and nurture the relationships between our societies, including the historic Silk Road Civilizations, which are updated in the Belt and Road Initiative, or the BRI 2.0. She viewed that the BRI is such an important land route for Nepal to access Central Asia and the Eurasia.
“Of equal importance here is to design the institutional modalities and the financing mechanisms, and their work plans for many of the development programs envisioned in the 13-Point Agreements.”
The financing modalities for the Sino-Nepal cooperation programmes may be developed by pooling resources from the various multi/bilateral grants and loans based on the principles of equity, affordability, market conditions, public goods, and clean and green development agenda.
She said that this Joint Consultation Conference was only a very natural process given that the Nepal-China relations have matured profoundly and are growing rapidly. “Our generations have closely witnessed how sound the relations between Nepal and China have been. I recall some historical landmarks such as the meeting between then Prime Minister B P Koirala and Chairman Mao Zedong in March 1960, followed by the Nepal-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship in April 1960, the establishment of the Nepal-China Friendship (Arniko) Highway, and so forth,” she added.
She added that Nepal is dedicated to the upliftment of our people’s prosperity as per our common heritages of Buddhism and Confucianism.
In her remarks, the National Assembly Vice-Chairperson underlined the need to make parliamentary friendship groups and overall political interaction more active, more regular, and more productive between Nepal and China. “Such close interaction can support and facilitate not only in a range of issues of our mutual concern but also in promoting the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction in community building with a shared future for humankind,” she believed.
On the occasion, she said Nepal’s adherence to the “One China Principle” was our firm commitment, unequivocal, straightforward, and unshakable. The changes in our domestic and external situations has not influenced this position.
Likewise, Vice Minister of International Department of CPC Sun Haiyan said the recent visits of the leaders from both countries have taken the Nepal-China relations to a new high and the peoples of the two countries have expected higher level of cooperation. “The most talked about issue here (in Nepal) is China in the new era and further fostering the ties,” she said.
Vice Minister Sun argued that Nepal-China relations in new era and roles of political parties in deepening bilateral relations should be focused in the upcoming days. She said tourism could also be a good thing to promote our relations but underscored the need of developing more infrastructures in Nepal.
The CPC leader called for policy reforms in Nepal to bring in more Chinese investment. The projects on Nepal are delayed not only due to Covid-19 but due to several other factors, according to Sun. “We are planning to implement more and more projects to uplift the livelihood of people but policy reforms are required here so that the projects would ensure better results to the people,” she argued.
Also speaking at the event, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song said that the agreements signed between Nepal and China during the recent visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ have cleared several things to advance our relations in a new direction. “We have to chart out our future path by keeping the people at the centre,” Ambassador Chen said.
He pointed out that animal husbandry could be a game changer cooperation for Nepal’s development and China was willing to cooperate with Nepal in this sector. Similarly, CPN (UML) General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel said that the government should be ready to advance the BRI projects in Nepal at the earliest possible time and suggested that Nepal should identify projects to run under the BRI framework. On the occasion, Pokhrel urged the Chinese side to open the China borders that were closed in the time of the pandemic.
Likewise, Nepali Congress leader Dr Shashanka Koirala said Nepal is willing to cooperate with China in development endavours. Former Deputy Prime Minister CP Mainali, General Secretary of CPN (Maoist Centre) Dev Gurung, leaders Ram Karki, Dinanath Sharma, Hitraj Pandey and Girirajmani Pokharel, leaders of Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), Rastriya Prajatantra Party, scholars, business leaders and attended the event.
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Confusion on rights among three-tier governments will fizzle out: PM Dahal
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said confusion surfaced among three-tier of governments would fizzle out gradually. “Ambiguity over the exclusive and concurrent rights of the local, provincial and federal governments will exist no more after the draft of work enlargement would be finalized,” the PM added.
PM Dahal said it during a high level discussion on draft report on revision of work expansion and enlargement among the national and sub-national governments.
In view of the constitutional rights and sensitivities of all three governments, the revision on work enlargement would help improve service delivery along with clarity on rights. It also contributes to federal system, he added.
“The draft has come based on the experience, practice and suggestions,” PM Dahal said, asserting that the draft was prepared after consulting experts and taking into account the experiences of federal countries.
The report will be endorsed by the national coordination committee. The capacity of three-layer governments would also be paid attention. Overlapping and ambiguity among three tiers of government will be wiped out, he believed.
The discussion was attended by Deputy Prime Ministers, chairs of thematic committees of national assembly and House of Representatives, different party leaders, chief secretary, secretaries and experts.
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Implementation of federalism in govt priority: PM Dahal
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said although basic framework was ready for implementation of federalism, formulation of new law and amendment of old remained to be carried out.
PM Dahal said it during a high level discussion on draft report on revision of work expansion and enlargement among the national and sub-national governments here Sunday.
According to him, although it had been a year since the election of the people’s representatives for the second time after promulgation of new constitution, ambiguity was seen in many spheres especially over the exclusive and concurrent rights of the three-tier government.
Dahal said that the revision process was taken forward acknowledging the need and demand of the provincial and local governments.
The Head of the State asserted, “Since the promulgation of constitution, the federal governance is being practiced in the country based on the principle of cooperation, co-existence and coordination. We have gained encouraging achievements in eight years of promulgation of constitution.”
The meeting of the National Coordination Council last year had decided to form Revision of Work Expansion and Enlargement and Recommendation Committee to iron out overlapping and ambiguity surfaced while enforcing federalism.
Present in the discussion were Deputy Prime Ministers, Chairpersons of thematic committees of national assembly and House of Representatives, different party leaders, chief secretary, secretaries and experts.
The expansion and enlargement of exclusive and concurrent rights of the federal, provincial and local governments as mentioned in the Schedules 5 to 9 of the Constitution of Nepal is in effect since January 31, 2017.
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Temperature down in Kathmandu, ‘high cloud’ brings respite in Tarai
Kathmandu, Jan 28: Although the Kathmandu Valley has witnessed declining temperature for some days, the Tarai region felt relief with ‘high cloud’ on Sunday. The fog has not vanished, but high cloud is sparse, bringing respite in Tarai.
Minimum temperature was recorded at 2.1degree Celsius in the Kathandu Valley on Sunday. Senior meteorologist at Weather Forecasting Division, Min Kumar Aryal, informed that Kathmandu witnessed the lowest temperature of the year on Sunday.
Similarly, in the last 24 hours, Jumla had the minimum temperature, which was measured at minus 4.9 degree Celsius and Jomsom at 4.5 degree Celsius.
“At 6:00pm, there was visibility above 1,000 meters in most parts of the country, “Aryal informed.
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SC gives mandamus order not to carry out physical works in Mistrykhola hydel project
Kathmandu, Jan 28: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a mandamus order to immediately halt the physical infrastructure of the under-construction Mistrykhola-2 hydel project in Myagdi district.
A division bench of justices Kumar Regmi and Mahesh Sharma Poudel issued the order on Sunday stating that the construction works of the hydel project would pose an irreparable loss to Tatopani kunda (a hot water spring).
Earlier, the court had scrapped the preliminary environmental impact assessment citing that the project would have a direct impact on the source of the hot water spring.
Eighteen local people including Rum Lal Pun, Khimmaya Tilija and others had filed the petition at the SC stating that development of the project there would result in drying up of the hot water spring and would cause serious environmental impacts there.
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‘Make nation free of acid attacks’
Kathmandu, Jan 28: CPN (UML) Chairperson and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said the scar of acid attack-survivors is blight to entire society.
Inaugurating a film production based on a true story of an acid-survivor teenage girl here Sunday, Oli, also the former Prime Minister, called for building a nation free of acid attacks.
Pressing for stringent punishment for the acid-attackers, he called for systematic and strict sales of such harmful substances. He vowed to discuss the issues relating to acid attack-survivors with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
On the occasion, acid-survivor Muskan Khatun said she was motivated by the movie. Calling for launching awareness drive on acid-attacks, she highlighted the need for introducing draconian laws against the perpetrator and taking strict actions against those involved in this ‘heinous’ crime.
Similarly, movie producer Ramit Dhungana shared that real pain of the acid-survivor would be shown in the screen. Parliamentarians Gyan Bahadur Shahi and Sunita Baral pledged to raise voice in favor of acid attack survivors. Actor Dhiren Shakya expressed his happiness over the movie to be made on the real-life story.
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