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Vehicular movement along the Narayangarh-Mugling road section, which was obstructed following a landslide at Kalikhola in Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-6 from Saturday afternoon, has resumed from this morning. Police Inspector at Muglin area police office Bishal Tamang said that the vehicles and passengers stranded since the past nine hours are on their way to their respective destination. This road section has been obstructed due to frequent landslides for the past six months. Thousands of vehicles pass through this road daily.  

Relief support has been provided to the families displaced due to landslides after heavy rains in Madi Rural Municipality of Kaski district. Their houses were damaged in the natural disaster. Two houses were completely damaged and others were at risk in ward 6 and ward 2. The rural municipality and district administration office authorities visited the affected families on Saturday and provided relief in cash. Based on the damage incurred, the rural municipality has distributed Rs 25,000 and the district administration distributed Rs 100,000 as relief to the survivor family. Landslides triggered by heavy rains on July 4 destroyed six houses and sheds of five families at Bhedikharka Chowk. The families whose house was completely damaged by the landslide have now taken shelter in relatives' and community homes.  

While the government is struggling with revenue collection, it is also not able to get foreign assistance as expected. The commitments of foreign loans and grants to the government have declined by 24.09 percent in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year. With only two weeks left to end the fiscal year, the government has been able to receive foreign assistance commitments of Rs 170.51bn in this fiscal year. Bilateral and multilateral donors had given aid commitments of Rs 224.64bn during the first 11 months of the last fiscal year. The government in the current fiscal year budget has initially targeted to receive Rs 297.71bn in foreign grants and loans for this fiscal. However, it reduced the target to Rs 209bn during the mid-term review of the budget. According to the Finance Ministry, it has entered into an agreement with foreign donor agencies to take loans and grants for different 22 projects and programs till mid-June. Of the total assistance, Rs 129.84bn is the loan while Rs 40.67bn is grant. The statistics of the Finance Ministry show commitment to both loans and grants has declined in this fiscal. However, grant commitments have declined by 55 percent in this fiscal compared to the last fiscal. Of the total aid commitment received in this fiscal, the largest commitment is from the World Bank (43 percent), followed by ADB (25.3 percent, the United Kingdom (13 percent), and Japan (10 percent). The government has prioritized receiving foreign aid in the form of budget support which Nepal can utilize in its priority areas. The government’s International Development Cooperation Policy (DPC)-2019 has highlighted that budget support is the country’s most preferred official development assistance modality. According to the ministry, development policy credit (DPC) worth Rs 12bn has been received from the World Bank for Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID). In August last year, the two sides signed a  concessional financing agreement of $100m (equivalent to Rs. 12.7bn) for the GRID. The proposed budgetary support aims to support improvements in the enabling environment in Nepal toward green, climate-resilient, and inclusive development. This is the first in a programmatic series of three concessional loans on GRID, according to the World Bank. Likewise, the ministry said that the government also received Rs 3bn from the Asian Development Bank under its policy-based lending heading which is also budgetary support. The government and the World Bank in the last week of May signed a financing agreement for a $120m concessional loan from the International Development Association and a grant agreement for $19.7m from the Global Partnership for Education for the School Sector Transformation Program (SSTP) Operation, which support the implementation of the government's flagship School Education Sector Plan. The government also signed a $140m agreement with the World Bank for the Digital Nepal Acceleration (DNA) Project. The other multilateral lender, Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the last week of June approved a $50m loan to support the implementation of policy reforms by the government of Nepal to help improve its domestic and international trade. The ADB on May 17 approved a $300m loan to improve transport connectivity of the Kakarbhitta–Laukahi road in Nepal to international trade routes, particularly to India and Bangladesh. Amid declining revenue collection, the government has sought $200m from the Asian Development Bank in budgetary support to finance the resource gap. With the government struggling to maintain a balance on fiscal management, Finance Minister Prakash Saran Mahat on May 11 requested development partners for loans and substantial grants to Nepal. Mahat had made such a request during a discussion with the international development partners, saying that as Nepal has been affected by global climate change despite the country's negligible carbon emission, the aid should also be mobilized in the form of grants.  

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 0. 06 points to close at 2,049.38 points on Thursday. Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 0. 58 points to close at 382. 16 points. A total of 9,751,985-unit shares of 280 companies were traded for Rs 3. 07 billion. Meanwhile, City Hotel Limited and Rawa Energy Development Limited were the top gainers today with their price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, Modi Energy 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 3. 00 trillion.  

The CPN (Maoist Center) has said its serious attention has been drawn over the 'misinterpretation' of the statement about sardar Pritam Singh made by party Chair and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The CPN (Maoist Center) is concerned over the propaganda by the opposition about the Prime Minister's statement about sardar Pritam Singh, the party said in a press statement today. "It is just an attempt to fulfill the partisan interest by trying to misinterpret the statement given by the Prime Minister with a very good intention," the party said, expressing its concern over the obstruction of the Parliament, the platform for exercising and promoting democracy, over the matter. "It has already been known that Dahal and Sardar Singh have developed a mutual emotional bonding over the course of time from people's war to the peace process," party Vice Chair and Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said in the statement. On the same backdrop, it is not unusual for sardar Singh to wish to see Dahal as the Prime Minister and to promote him in his political career, according to Mahara. "It is merely an attempt to trouble the situation and catch a fish in murky waters," the party said, urging the party hierarchy and the mass to stand in favor of nationality, republic and for the cause of people.  

The lumpy skin disease has been spreading across the country at an alarming rate in recent days. The disease has already killed 21,000 cattle throughout the country, according to the Animal Service Department. Thus far, the disease has spread in 71 districts, infecting 555,000 cattle, with the rate of infection particularly high in mid-hilly and hilly regions of Karnali, Lumbini and Koshi Province, per the Animal Service Department. According to Nepal Veterinary Council, the mortality rate of the infection is 3.8 percent and there is a loss of Rs 49,135 per animal in the country. Animal deaths resulting from this disease have already caused a loss of NRs 27.22bn. In the absence of timely treatment, the disease could spread in 25,26,000 animals, resulting in the death of 100,000 cows and buffalos, and causing a total loss of NRs 1.26 trillion, per the council. This estimated loss is equivalent to 7.2 percent of the total budget allocated for this fiscal. An eruptive, occasionally fatal disease of cattle characterized by nodules on the skin and other parts of the body, lumpy skin is caused by a virus belonging to the Poxviridae family. Morbidity rate of the infection is usually 5-45 percent and mortality rate is usually less than 10 percent, according to the Central Veterinary Laboratory. As the disease can easily transmit from one animal to the other, the infected animal should be kept separate from healthy animals. Such animals should not be taken for grazing with healthy ones, for bathing together in the ponds and should not be taken to local markets and other crowded places, the Animal Service Department has suggested. As for the treatment regimen for the virus-borne disease, it  should be based on symptoms. The infected cattle should be given sufficient water, soft grass, and electrolyte liquids. Lack of proper and timely care increases chances of the infected cattle’s death, warns the department, pointing that calves, oxen, cattle giving high amounts of milk as well as pregnant cows and buffalos are susceptible. There are 74,13,197 cows and 51,32,931 buffalos in the country. The disease has not been detected in sheep and goats. Also, there is no evidence of the disease’s transmission into humans from animals, according to the department. Some of the symptoms of the disease are nasal and ocular discharge, discharge of mucopurulent (containing mucus and pus) with progression of the disease, fever, swelling of joints, swollen superficial lymph nodes, sharp reduction in milk production and formation of skin nodules all over the body. Damaged skin and hides, fertility problems and death are some of the impacts of the disease along with increased treatment costs. The Central Veterinary Laboratory has suggested vector population control, hygienic measures in the farms, awareness campaign and vaccination as preventive and control measures. The first case of the disease was reportedly detected in Nepal in 2020. Symptoms

• Nasal and ocular discharge
• Discharge of mucus and pus with progression of the disease
• Fever
• Swollen joints and superficial lymph nodes
• Sharp reduction in milk production
• Formation of skin nodules all over the body

As many as 81 local units across the country have implemented a ‘reintegration program’ aimed at creating an environment for returnee migrant workers to invest capital and skills acquired abroad within the country. Under the program, returnee migrant workers are provided with assistance worth Rs 43,000 to start their ventures. Of this amount, Rs 8,000 is allocated for training purposes, and the remaining Rs 35,000 for their ventures. So far, 3,260 returnee migrant workers have enrolled for the program in 81 local units. According to the Employment Promotion Board (EPB), these individuals are now enterprise-oriented. The local units are required to invest at least 20 percent per person. “The EPB provides Rs 43,000 per person, while the local units have to invest at least 20 percent of that amount,” said Rajan Paudel, the information officer of the EPB. “Although the money is not sufficient to start a large-scale business, it will be enough to start entrepreneurship with coordination from the concerned local unit.” Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari said although the ministry was providing different compensations for migrant workers, this is the first program targeted at returnee migrant workers. The objective of this program is to utilize the capital, skills, technology, and experience acquired during employment by people returning from foreign employment for the development and promotion of entrepreneurship in Nepal. The cabinet endorsed the Reintegration Program Guidelines in June last year to facilitate the implementation of the program. Based on this regulation, 81 local units started the program in April this year, according to Dwarika Upreti, the executive director of the EPB. “The program was initiated with the aim of creating an environment for returnee migrant workers to invest the skills and money earned abroad in the country, so that people do not have to migrate abroad again,” Upreti added. According to Upreti, only 81 local units applied to the EPF to implement the program. While Dharan Sub-metropolitan City has enrolled 40 returnee migrant workers in the program, Phidim has 60, and Ilam and Khadananda municipalities have 40 each. Chandra Bahadur Rokaha, the past president of the Returnee Federation Nepal, believes that although this program alone is not sufficient for the reintegration of migrant workers into Nepali society, it seems to be of some help. Likewise, Uttam Adhikari, President of Returnee Migration Nepal, said the reintegration guidelines fall short of meeting the expectations of the migrant workers. “No one from the target group was on the team that drafted these guidelines,” he said. Similarly, Tej Prasad Subedi, the general secretary of All Nepal Migrant Workers Forum, said there should be no further delay in utilizing the skills acquired by Nepalis abroad to build a better nation. “We have repeatedly submitted suggestions to the government regarding the citizens who are employed abroad and those who have returned. Hopefully, the government will take action now,” he added. Returnee migrant workers, who have benefited from the program, have said that the program is very effective. “I have learned a lot about entrepreneurship from the training,” said Lal Bahadur Budha Chhetri of Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City. Chhetri returned to Nepal after spending 15 years in Qatar. Some local units, however, seem confused as this program is being implemented in Nepal for the first time.

A meeting of the National Assembly has been postponed till Friday. National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina postponed the meeting till 12: 29 pm tomorrow following the obstruction from the main opposition CPN-UML. The UML lawmakers have been obstructing the meeting of the House of Representatives and National Assembly since Wednesday demanding resignation of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal over his remarks. Soon after the commencement of the meeting, the UML lawmakers demanded resignation of Prime Minister Dahal for the second day on Thursday also. UML lawmaker Bhairav Sundar Shrestha said that the Prime Minister’s remarks undermined the prestige and dignity of the country. During a function to launch a book on Monday, Prime Minister Dahal had said that Pritam Singh visited New Delhi several times to make him the prime minister. “His statement is condemnable,” Shrestha said. He said that the Prime Minister, who works at the behest of India, is not acceptable.