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Minister for Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet has directed the directors of various hospitals in Kathmandu Valley to ensure systematic health and medical services. He asked them to maintain quality health services to the common people. Minister Basnet made such a direction during a meeting with the directors of hospitals in the valley at his office on Monday. He reminded that 10 percent of hospital beds need to be allocated to the poor and helpless citizens. No sick one would be deprived of health service. The meeting was attended by the directors of Bir Hospital, Paropakar Maternity Hospital, Shukraraj Tropical Hospital, Kanti Children Hospital, Martyr Ganga Lal National Heart Centre, National Trauma Centre and Shukraraj Tropical and Communicable Disease Control Hospital.  

The National Concern and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly held a discussion on the auditing process, arrears, implementation status of the report of Office of Auditor General, problems, challenges and solution of auditing. Committee Chairman Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa said that they discussed the reasons behind growing arrears and measures to be taken for correction. "Fiscal discipline is essential to reduce arrears," she said, adding that issues such as policy and structural reforms, human workforce management, use of new policy, effective implementation of new technology was zeroed in during the meeting held with Office of the Auditor General (OAG). The Committee would direct the concerned bodies for reform after garnering suggestions to this regard, according to her. Lawmakers said commission-seeking culture of government employees, frequent transfer, and a huge amount released early as remuneration were some of the reasons behind increase in arrears. Lawmaker Kumar Dasaudi blamed the government for spending a huge amount of budget at the end of fiscal year. The OAG sought suggestions by the lawmakers on how existing legal arrangements could address the problems of arrears. The office chiefs must be made accountable to address this problem, they added. On the occasion, Acting Auditor General Ram Maya Kunwar stressed the need for reform from the very local level.  

Looking for a place for some good Indian Cuisine? Check out Be Perky Garden Boutique Restaurant in Sanepa, Lalitpur. The restaurant serves some delicious dishes that you’ll find in the streets of cities in India. From kabab to biryani, there is almost everything. The restaurant is cozy and most of the seating area is outdoors, with a bar at a corner. It’s a perfect place for large groups and families. We recommend you try their Veg and Non-veg Platter. It’s a perfect dish for a group of more than five, especially if there are vegetarians in the group. The Veg platter includes Dilruba Kebab, Tandoori Gobi, Paneer Tikka and Tandoori Mushroom, and the Non-veg Platter includes Chicken Tandoori, Chicken Tikka, Hariyali Chicken Tikka and Seekh Kebab. The DilKhush Kebab was amazing. It’s sauteed chicken stuffed with cheese. It tastes delicious with the chutney they serve on the side. It’s best to have it while it’s still hot to get the authentic taste. If you are looking forward to a big meal, you can’t go wrong with naan with your choice of curry. We loved the Punjabi Chicken Curry and Mutton Korma. The other alternative is Biryani. You’ll not be disappointed. Also, don’t miss out on the drinks. Their mocktails are quite good and refreshing. The ones we tried were Tangerine Mojito and Apple Smoke Mojito. It’s fruity, refreshing, and will leave you wanting for more. Their Specials: 

• DilKhush Kebab

• Platter

• Biryani 

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kiranti clarified that the Pokhara International Airport is not a project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as claimed by China. Responding to a question raised by Nepali Congress lawmaker Ram Hari Khatiwada, Minister Kiranti said that the world knows about it. He made it clear that Nepal and China signed the BRI agreement only in 2016. The minister was of the view that the construction of the airport started in 2012. He urged the lawmakers not to believe in rumors. During a program held at the Pokhara International Airport on Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song had claimed that the airport was a project under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), raising eyebrows in Kathmandu. Despite Nepali leaders’ repeated assertion that this is not a BRI project, China continues to put it under the BRI which is likely to cause diplomatic friction between the two countries. “The construction of Pokhara International Airport started in 2023. It was designed and constructed with the help of the Chinese government. It was built by Chinese engineers. This is a project under the BRI,” Ambassador Chen said. During the opening ceremony of the airport in December last year, Chargé d'Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu Wang Xin had said that Pokhara airport is a part of China’s ambitious BRI project.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 11.69 points to close at 2,129.42 points on Monday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 3.66 points to close at 399. 11 points. A total of 11,903,687-unit shares of 279 companies were traded for Rs 5. 31 billion. Meanwhile, Himalayan Life Insurance Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Similarly, Super Madi Hydropower Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 6.94 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 11 trillion.

I’m a 24-year-old woman and my relationships don’t last, be it with friends or a romantic partner. Everyone wants to maintain distance with me. I think part of the problem is me, but I don’t know what to do. A lot of them have told me I victimize myself a lot and don’t like to take accountability for my mistakes. I know that’s true. But I can’t bring myself to admit it or work on myself. What should I do?—A troubled woman Answered by Dristy Moktan, psychosocial counselor, Happy Minds Accepting one’s own shortcomings isn’t easy. It takes a lot of courage to come to a conclusion that you might have to work on yourself in order to mend your relationships with others. But the good thing is you’re trying to improve, not everyone is willing to do so. You need to dig deeper into why the problems exist in the first place. Analyze your reactions to certain situations. Try figuring out why you act the way you do. Maybe that will give you an idea on where you can start working on yourself. Sometimes, what you do might be your way of defending yourself from getting hurt. Or there might be some underlying issues, for instance childhood traumas. So figuring out the core problem will help you find better solutions. Maintaining relationships should go both ways. So you also need to communicate with other people. Talk to them and share what you feel. This can make the relationship even better. Communicating and understanding each other’s feelings can lead to a fulfilling relationship. Also, try keeping realistic goals when it comes to maintaining relationships. For instance, you can’t expect someone to be there for you all the time. So, set a goal that’s achievable for the both of you. Focus on the things that are under your control. Having said that, before trying to fix relationships with others, it’s always important to have a good relationship with oneself. Be aware of what you need to work on. Spend quality time with yourself. Good relationship with oneself will always help you to better understand your relationship with others.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal on Monday. Ambassador Chan reached Baluwatar at 9:30 am today to meet the Prime Minister. During the meeting, they discussed BRI projects and the recently concluded Dragon Festival in Pokhara. On the occasion, Prime Minister Dahal’s China visit was also discussed. Though the date has not been fixed, the Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy are preparing for the visit, a source said.  

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a corruption case at the Special Court against Pradeep Dhakal, the then member secretary of the Pashupati Area Development Trust. The corruption watchdog on Monday filed a corruption case against Dhakal on the charge of illegally amassing property amounting to Rs 1.44 million. The Commission claimed that the property details he presented in accordance with the prevailing law while holding a public post are nonpareil and unnatural. In addition to that, the CIAA claimed that he acquired the property illegally by misusing the public post.