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The government has announced a public holiday for Thursday to mourn the demise of Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairperson and CPN-UML Vice Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs informed about this by issuing a notice.

Nembang, the House of Representatives member from Ilam-2, died of a heart attack on Tuesday at the age of 71. 

The government has decided to lower the national flag to half-mast in the entire government offices and Nepali diplomatic missions abroad on Thursday.  

With Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s intervention, the issue of dedicated feeders has been resolved at least for now.  The issue resurfaced when, on Aug 17, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) warned industrial and commercial customers that their power connections would be disconnected unless they settled their outstanding payments within a 15-day period.

The delegation of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) led by its President Chandra Prasad Dhakal met the Prime Minister on Monday. During the meeting, the FNCCI delegation briefed the Prime Minister that the decision to cut off electricity when the economy is in trouble due to economic recession will bring more crises.

Following a request from the FNCCI, Prime Minister Dahal contacted Kulman Ghising, the managing director of the authority, and directed him to halt ongoing proceedings. The Prime Minister assured the FNCCI team that the decision to cut off electricity by the NEA will not be implemented for now. “The government will address the issue in coordination and consultation and a study about it is underway,” said Dahal.

Given that businesses are currently operating at less than 40 percent capacity due to the ongoing economic crisis, the FNCCI suggested that specific actions are needed to safeguard industrial enterprises. FNCCI President Dhakal remarked that the NEA's actions were unjustifiable given the current state of the private sector. “At this juncture, what we require is assistance and encouragement—let’s not compound our challenges,” he said.  After the fresh notice by the NEA to settle the outstanding payments, the FNCCI convened the meeting of its ‘standing committee’ on Sunday, in which industrialists from the Bhairahawa Industrial Corridor were also present. The majority of industries that are yet to settle their dues to NEA belong to the cement and steel industries. On Monday, cement and steel industrialists also accompanied FNCCI President Dhakal to meet the Prime Minister.

While payment disputes between the NEA and the private sector have been lingering for years, the NEA issued a fresh notice after lawmakers raised the issues at the parliament demanding the suspension of its Managing Director Kulman Ghising for failure to recover the outstanding bills.  The row between the NEA and industrialists over outstanding electricity bills has been dragging on for years. The state-owned utility maintains that 62 industries owe more than Rs 19.95bn for electricity supplied to them through dedicated feeders and trunk lines since 2015.

When the country was experiencing an extreme power crisis, a board meeting of the NEA, in June 2015 set premium charges for factories using electricity through dedicated feeders from August of that year. A separate meeting of the now-dissolved Electricity Tariff Fixation Commission had decided in Jan 2016 to set premium charges for factories using direct electricity from dedicated feeders and trunk lines. The dispute intensified after May 2020, after the power utility presented bills to the factories for overdue payments.

In the second week of Aug 2020, a cabinet meeting even waived the premium charge for eight and a half months of the total dues in order to minimize excess financial burden on the industrialists. With the decision, the industrialists were supposed to settle the dues of only 28 months and 11 days. However, the industrialists have been arguing that it was not appropriate for the NEA to levy additional fees even after the power utility announced the end of load-shedding in 2016.

In April 2021, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had directed the government to recover the dues from the industries that used electricity supplied through dedicated feeders and trunk lines after NEA failed to take action against them. The industries had filed 51 writs in various courts against the NEA over the dedicated feeder issue. While the courts dismissed 49 of these petitions, interim orders were issued for the remaining two cases involving Shivam and Maruti Cement. In the rulings favoring these two companies, it was stipulated that power supply should not be disconnected. Since the court scrapped 49 out of 51 writs, the NEA has been emboldened to pursue the collection of outstanding dues.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 19. 42 points to close at 1,967.57 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 50 points to close at 379. 14 points.

A total of 3,916,161-unit shares of 276 companies were traded for Rs 1. 13 billion.

Meanwhile, Shuvam Power Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, Three Star Hydropower Limited was the top loser as its price dropped by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 94 trillion.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal paid final tribute to Constitution Assembly Chairman and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang.

Similarly, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal among others leaders also paid last tribute to Nembang.

Earlier, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli paid tribute to Nembang by draping the party flag over his body.

Leaders and cadres of various political parties have reached the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur to pay their last respects.

Nembang, who suffered a cardiac arrest, while undergoing treatment at the Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital at 1:30 am today.

The mortal remains of Nembang have been kept at the party headquarters to pay final tributes.

It has been learnt that the body will be kept at the party headquarters the whole day today.

The government has also decided to cremate Nembang with state honors.

The Koshi Province Government has put an end to the ‘budget holiday’ situation in the province by introducing legislation for government spending through an ordinance.

Province Chief Parshuram Khapung on Sunday issued the Financial Ordinance and Appropriation Ordinance on the recommendation of the provincial cabinet. Hikmat Kumar Karki of CPN-UML was appointed as the Chief Minister of the province on Friday, following a mandamus order from the Supreme Court. He has already appointed three ministers and a minister of state to his cabinet.

The newly-appointed Minister for Water Supply, Irrigation, and Energy, Til Kumar Meyangbo, said that the provincial government has resolved the situation of budget vacuum in the province by bringing legislation to mobilize revenue and make expenditures through ordinances. Earlier, the Karki-led government had issued a budget through an ordinance. He had proposed to spend Rs 36.24bn, with Rs 14.39bn allocated for recurrent spending and Rs 18.23bn for capital expenditures. However, the ordinance couldn’t be replaced by an Act from the provincial assembly, as Karki lost a confidence vote in the provincial assembly on June 30.

Karki was succeeded by Uddhab Thapa of Nepali Congress as the chief minister a week later. However, the Supreme Court removed Thapa from office on July 27, as he had relied on the support of Speaker Babu Ram Gautam to form his government. Speaker Gautam had previously introduced a replacement bill in the provincial assembly, but no discussion on the bill could take place as Thapa recommended to the Province Chief to prorogue the budget session.

Gautam later resigned as Speaker to pave the way for formation of government under Thapa’s leadership for the second time on August 1. However, he was once again removed by the Supreme Court on Sept 7. Nepali Congress assembly member Israil Mansuri, who was chairing the session in the absence of Deputy Speaker Sirjana Danuwar, had given a vote of confidence to Thapa. The apex court declared the confidence vote unconstitutional and ordered the Province Chief to form a government under the leadership of the largest party in the provincial assembly. Karki returned to power in Koshi Province on the basis of the Supreme Court order. The budget, which was initially brought through an ordinance, should have been passed by introducing a replacement bill by Aug 27. Since that did not happen, a situation of budget holiday arose in the province.

Ten ordinances issued in six years

As many as 10 ordinances have been issued in Kosi Province over the past six years. In both terms of the provincial assembly, political parties have bypassed the assembly to enact legislation through ordinances to serve their interests. In most cases, governments have resorted to ordinances due to their failure to secure majority support for legislation. The constitution allows governments to use ordinances only in situations where the provincial assembly cannot convene. However, there are instances of parties issuing ordinances by proroguing the session of the provincial assembly. On the government’s recommendation, the province chief issued two ordinances on Sunday. After the ordinance brought for the 2023/24 fiscal year was not passed by the provincial assembly and became inactive, the government was compelled to issue another ordinance to end the budget vacuum.

Former Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai first issued the Province Financial Procedures First Amendment Ordinance, 2018, on May 23, 2018. Rai then issued the Province Financial Procedure Second Amendment Ordinance, 2078, on June 2, 2021. Another Chief Minister, Rajendra Kumar Rai, issued the Province Civil Service Ordinance, 2022, and the Ordinance to Amend Some Acts, 2022, on September 27, 2022. Hikmat Kumar Karki issued the Local Service Formation and Operation Ordinance, 2023, and the Province Civil Service Act First Amendment Ordinance, 2023, on April 27, 2023 in his first term as the chief minister.

Actor Khagendra Lamichhane has introduced his book ‘Paaniphoto’. The book’s launch took place during an event in Kathmandu on Monday. The book was collectively launched by Neer Shah, Swastima Khadka, Nischal Basnet, Reecha Sharma, Manoj Pandit, Nischal Basnet, Dipendra K Khanal, Ashok Sharma, Saurabh Rai, Suraksha Pant, Malika Mahat, and the author himself.

During the event, writer and journalist Shivani Singh Tharu engaged in a discussion with Lamichhane about the book’s content. She noted that the book, characterized by its subtlety, carries a fresh and unique message. Actor Shah expressed admiration for Lamichhane’s dedication to the world of cinema as reflected in the book. He also expressed his happiness that the book was released after the film’s success.

The CPN-UML has decided to fly the party flag at half-mast for three days to mourn the death of Constituent Assembly Chairman and party Vice-Chairman Subash Nembang.

An emergency Secretariat meeting held at the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur decided to place condolence books at the party central office, province office and his election constituency Ilam.

The meeting also endorsed a special condolence motion.

Nembang succumbed to a heart attack at 1:40 am today while receiving treatment at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj. He was 71.

His body has been kept at the party headquarters in Chyasal for final tributes.

The government has decided to cremate Nembang with state honors.

An emergency Cabinet meeting held this morning has decided to give a public holiday on the day of his cremation.

Nembang’s last rites will be performed after his sons come to Nepal.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has made public a list of 71 works that it aims to carry out immediately.

Making the list public amidst a program on Monday, KMC’s Chief Administrative Officer Basanta Adhikari urged the departmental chiefs concerned not to delay the works on any pretext.

Installation of high-mast lights, operation of digital services, vehicle parking management on office premises and the city area and the operation of a health promotion center feature in the to-do list.  

Sterilization of stray dogs, development of monitoring indicators (infrastructure, ward level, department, project and program level, public procurement process), implementation of decisions of the KMC’s Executive Meeting, status of implementation of Acts, formulation of work procedures and projects of metropolitan pride and glory are also on the list.

The plan also entails installation of glass bars on pedestrian overhead bridges, regular repair and maintenance of structures like pavements, transport management and construction of public toilets. 

Construction of a breast-feeding room at the KMC office in Kathmandu Plaza also features in the list.

The KMC had provided a prototype of the public toilet to all the KMC wards last week and instructed them to construct public toilets as per the need. 

However, the metropolis’ pledge over the years to construct toilets at public places has largely remained a pledge. 

KMC has earmarked Rs 7.34bn for these works.

To-do list

• Installation of high-mast lights
• Operation of digital services 
• Vehicle parking management on office premises and city area 
• Operation of health promotion center  
• Sterilization of stray dogs
• Development of monitoring indicators 
• Construction of glass bars on pedestrian overhead bridges
• Regular repair and maintenance of pavements
• Transport management 
• Construction of public toilets 
• Construction of breast-feeding room