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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is holding a comprehensive discussion with the Nepali Ambassadors in the destination countries to make foreign employment orderly, dignified and safe.

The ambassadors and heads of delegations of the destination countries have arrived in Kathmandu for discussions to be held on Monday and Tuesday at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the discussion to be chaired by Prime Minister Dahal will focus on labor migration issues and the role of diplomatic missions.

The meeting will deal with the problems faced by the workers going for foreign employment from the time they get the work permit to the workplace, find ways to solve them and turn the conclusions into decisions.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also participate in the discussion. The meeting will identify necessary legal and structural reforms required for a safe labor destination.

This is the first-of-its-kind meeting being held in Nepal at the initiative of the Prime Minister.

A working group consisting of secretaries of relevant ministries was formed under the leadership of the chief secretary to collect the necessary data from the Nepali embassies in the destination countries and ways to solve the problems seen in the foreign employment sector.

The District Court, Kathmandu has ordered to release 17 individuals including the Chairman of Managing Director of Bhatbhateni Super Market arrested in connection with the Lalita Niwas land grab case on bail.

A single bench of Judge Bholanath Dhakal issued the order to release one of the 18 people to be released on a general date.

He also sought Rs 24. 6 million as a bail bond from Gurung, the operator of the Bhatbhateni Supermarket.

The hearing was started on September 3 after recording the statements of 18 persons were completed.

A case was filed against 312 defendants in the Lalita Niwas land scam.

A case of forgery of government documents was filed at the Kathmandu District Court against them.

The recording of the statements of the defendants, who were in custody, was started on August 28.

ALSO READ: ApEx Explainer: Everything you need to know about Lalita Niwas scam

The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police has started the investigation based on the complaint registered by Mukunda Prasad Panta, Chief of the Summer Jung Company.

The CIB had submitted the report prepared after 57 days of investigation to the Attorney’s Office on August 22.

The Attorney’s Office filed the case at the Kathmandu District Court after studying the report on August 27.

The CIB gave final shape to the investigation after interrogating former prime ministers Baburam Bhattarai and Madhav Nepal among others involved in the case.

A total of 18 persons including Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary at the Communications Ministry, Gurung, operator of Bhatbhateni Supermarket, Sudhir Kumar Shah, former commissioner of the Election Commission and former government employees were apprehended in connection with the Lalita Niwas land scam.

The CIB had started investigating the case in 2019 in relation to forged documents and fake governmental stamps related to Lalita Niwas land transactions.

Pawan Alok, 70, is a poet and essayist from Bhojpur who has received numerous awards for his works, including the ‘Pallav Rastriya Samman’, ‘Satyamohan Joshi Satabdi Mahoutsav Puraskar’, ‘Bangladesh Maitri Sang Samman’, ‘Yogmaya Srishti Samman’ and many more. Babita Shrestha from ApEx caught up with Alok to talk about what fuels his love for writing.

What inspired you to write?

My main source of inspiration is my rural hometown. Back during my high school days, one of my teachers encouraged me to hone my literary skills and since then, I’ve been immersed in literature. We used to have many literature events every year and I used to win most of the competitions. My passion grew, and I eventually began submitting my writings to newspapers. My first published work was ‘Prem Ko Abhivyakti’. After moving to Kathmandu, I attended literary events and worked at Nepal Pragya Pratisthan, where I met notable writers such as Balkrishna Sama, Madhav Ghimire, Siddhicharan Shrestha, and others. Meeting them made me want to write even more.

Is there a particular literary form that you prefer?

I started off as a poet. ‘The Poison Tree’ was published in Bangladesh, while ‘Pawan Alok ka Kehi Kavita’ was published in Nepal. Additionally, I’ve also written a travelog, two travel novels, and three essay collections. I enjoy writing travelogs the most and I find myself indulging in that ever so often. So far, ‘Europe ko Jhajhalko’ has been launched, followed by ‘Arun Express’, ‘Kehi Samjhana Kehi Sirjana’, and ‘Pahad Ra Lamatanna Samudra’. I’m now working on two more books that will be published soon.

Can you run us through your writing process?

I’m a travel enthusiast and so far I have visited 30 different countries. I don’t travel to write, but wonderful experiences prompt me. A travelog, to me, is not a lengthy description but rather a subtle flow of emotion and perception. When I travel, I always take a diary with me. I keep track of things that have an impact on me. Later, I’ll attempt to express that in words. Typically, I work on drafts and then go over them multiple times until I’m satisfied. It takes days and sometimes even months to edit my work. I send my manuscript to other travel writers for feedback and criticism before publication since I believe that modifications are vital for good writing. Also, I try to write clearly and simply so that readers are able to understand the real tone and message.

 When did you realize you had an interest in travel writing? Can you share some of your favorite travel memories?

I completed a degree in the United Kingdom, and while living there, I had plenty of opportunities to explore the city. I used to plan trips during the weekend. I had never considered writing about my trips till I read Tana Sharma’s ‘Belaet Tira Baralida’ at the time.

Following that, I began writing other travel memoirs and even travel novels. ‘Pahad Ra Lamatnna Samundra’ is one of my most significant writings which narrates my travels around Nepal and even to other nations. It covers 15 collections of travelogs from my trips to Janakpur, Bhojpur, Bara, and Parsa, as well as foreign nations such as Switzerland, England, the US, Belgium, France, and others.

 In the book, I’ve also included my trip to the lake district where  English writer William Wordsworth grew up. The authorities have preserved his home furnishings. Seeing that, it struck me that we had outstanding Nepali writers as well, but the government has never given them their due. In order to draw attention to that, I have incorporated my sentiments about the issue as well.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a travel writer?

To be honest, not everyone can write or has the drive to do so. Also, it has always been difficult, particularly for Nepali writers, because our government invests little in the promotion of Nepali arts and literature. Publication and marketing are difficult endeavors, and writers frequently face financial constraints. Given the circumstances, I strongly urge the administration to implement comprehensive response plans. I’ve formed my own organization, ‘Yogmaya Rastriya Naari Srasta Samaan’ at my own expense, to pay respect to Yogmaya Neupane’s contributions. This prize recognizes Nepali women authors who continuously contribute to Nepali literature.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a travel writer?

Travel writing is not only about descriptions of a place but also about the flow of emotions. Don’t be in a hurry to get published. Make sure you get feedback from other writers or readers and work on polishing your draft. You have to be able to make your readers feel like they are there in that place with you and for that, your writing will have to go through many revisions.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 10.23 points to close at 1,942.68 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 2.32 points to close at 373. 90 points.

A total of 4,314,417-unit shares of 276 companies were traded for Rs 1. 07 billion.

Meanwhile, Suryodaya Womi Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Similarly, Himal Dolakha Hydropower Company Limited was the top loser as its price fell by 7.81 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 90 trillion.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that his visit to China will be fruitful and effective.

The Prime Minister, who will leave for China after taking part in  the United Nations General Assembly in New York, had called a meeting on Sunday morning to discuss the agendas.

After receiving the suggestions, Prime Minister Dahal said that he is trying to make his upcoming visit to China more fruitful.

“I will try to make the visit effective by fixing the agendas keeping in mind the suggestions given by you,” he said.

Before leaving for the northern neighbor, former prime ministers and foreign ministers said that it is necessary to review the implementation status of the agreements made with him in the past.

The participants suggested to the Prime Minister to convince the neighboring countries about the non-aligned foreign policy of Nepal, maintain balanced diplomatic relations, take into consideration the issues of mutual concern and including each other’s security.

In response, Prime Minister Dahal said that he is committed to maintaining balanced relationships with all the countries of the world including the neighbors and Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy.

Similarly, the Prime Minister said that he will appraise the United Nations General Assembly of Nepal’s peace process, development efforts and impact of climate change among others.

Former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Democratic Socialist Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur, Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut and Rastriya Janamorcha Party Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC among others were present in the meeting.

Prime Minister Dahal is leaving for New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly on September 16.

He is scheduled to leave for China from there.

The curfew order that had been in effect in Malangawa, the district headquarters of Sarlahi, since Saturday, was lifted at 8 am on Sunday. However, the prohibitory order remains in place, according to Chief District Officer Indra Dev Yadav.

With the removal of the curfew order, life here has started returning to normalcy. Markets have reopened and transport services have resumed. A large number of security personnel have been mobilized in different parts of the city.

According to Sarlahi's Police Chief Naresh Raj Subedi, during the period of the prohibitory order, all forms of protest programs, demonstrations and mass meetings have been banned.

The curfew was imposed at 5 pm on Saturday to ease tension after two groups clashed, using rocks, while returning after immersing the idol of Hindu deity Krishna on Friday evening as part of the celebration of the Krishna Janmashtami festival. 

Subsequent demonstrations and clashes took place in the city on Saturday, prompting the local administration to issue the curfew order.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 111, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 112, 300 per tola on Friday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 350 per tola.

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 10 and is being traded at Rs 1,395 per tola today.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been suggested to take the neighboring countries into confidence.

During a meeting with leaders of major political parties representing the Parliament, foreign minister and former foreign ministers among others at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar on Sunday, they suggested the Prime Minister move ahead by taking China and India into confidence.

After the meeting, former foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey said that China and India are losing trust in Nepal’s leaders.

“China and India are losing confidence from Nepal’s leaders. Why did they lose their trust? Why did they not trust Nepal? We have suggested to the Prime Minister to understand this matter,” he said.

He suggested the Prime Minister immediately create an environment of trust with neighboring countries.

Similarly, Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut has suggested inquiring about the measures China has adopted to alleviate poverty.

He also suggested the Prime Minister create an environment to open Chinese industries in Nepal.

“The fertilizer factory should also be opened immediately,” he said.