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It has already been two years that the post of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative has been lying vacant.

In the meantime, political appointments were made to constitutional agencies and many other positions.

But, no one has given attention to fill the vacant post of Deputy Speaker in the Parliament.

There is a provision that the woman should be appointed as the Deputy Speaker as there is already a male speaker.

Lawmakers said that the parties have not given much attention to appoint the Deputy  Speaker may be because the woman should be appointed to the post.

The UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) had divided the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker after the elections of 2017.

In 2018, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) were unified, eight months after the two ruling parties made an initial agreement on party unity.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara of CPN (Maoist Centre) and Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe were appointed as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

Later, a staffer of the Parliament accused Mahara of abusing her. Then he resigned from the post.

Many leaders within the party claimed for the post of speaker. But, the party appointed Agni Prasad Sapkota as the speaker.

Tumbahamphe tendered her resignation on January 20, 2020.

Nepali Congress staged protests saying that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were appointed from the same party. Now, the Nepali Congress is leading the government and it has not given much attention to appoint the Deputy Speaker.

In recent times, the five-party coalition has divided the post of Deputy Speaker among them. The post of Deputy Speaker was given to the Janata Samajbadi Party.

Ruling coalition leaders have said that the government could not appoint the deputy speaker as the main oppostion has been obstructing the Parliament demanding that the Speaker take action against the 14 lawmakers expelled by the party.

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chief Whip Dev Gurung said that the government has not appointed the Deputy speaker yet due to the House obstruction.

Nepal Congress leader Pushpa Bhusal said that the Deputy Speaker should be appointed at the earliest to protect the rights of the women envisioned by the constitution.

The main opposition CPN-UML Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai said that it was unfortunate the post of Deputy Speaker remained vacant for a long time.

As many as 3,906 cases of cybercrime have been registered in the fiscal year 2020/21, the Cyber Bureau of the Nepal Police said. Of them, 2,003 women and 1,471 men have become the victims. 

There are many children under the age of 18 years  who have also become the victims of cybercrime.

According to the statistics provided by the Cyber Bureau, 1,052 girls and 56 boys became the victims during this period.

Cyber Bureau Chief Nabindra Aryal said that the cases of cybercrime have been increasing drastically of late due to the greed for money.

People have been using the latest technology to commit crimes.

“Many people have been misusing social media, taking it as normal.  The cases have been increasing as the people do not have to meet and talk directly,” he said, adding, “ There was barely a day that they have not received the complaints of cybercrime.”

According to a preliminary investigation, 3,451 people have been found involved in cybercrime through Facebook in the fiscal year 2020/21.

As many 1,547 incidents of cybercrime were reported in the first three months of the current fiscal year 2021/22.

Due to this fact, such incidents are likely to increase in this fiscal year.

In the recent incidents, 49 girls and 25 boys under the age of 18 have become the victims.

Police claimed that the children have been becoming the victims as they have easy access to social media and the internet.

“There are no homes where children do not use the internet,” Cyber Bureau Chief Aryal said. “There are many children who commit the crime unknowingly,” he added.

Mostly people use Facebook, Viber, Imo, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter among others to commit the crime.

Aryal said that the social media used in Nepal is being operated from abroad, it is easy for people living outside the country to commit the crime.

He said that they are coordinating with the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) to arrest the criminals.

“We have resolved almost all the cases of cybercrime,” Aryal said. More than 70 percent of people have access to the internet. Those who use the internet,95 people carry smartphones. The crimes have been increasing due to the misuse of technology.

CPN (Maoist Centre) has formed a task force to give suggestions on the Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact, an American grant worth $500 million.

Party leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the party decided to form the task force after the issue of MCC was raised in the meeting of the former Standing Committee members held on Saturday.

“We have formed a taskforce to give suggestions on the MCC. We will move ahead as per the suggestions of the taskforce,” he said.

Meanwhile, a meeting held at the party office in Paris Danda on Saturday discussed holding all three tiers of elections in one go, Mahara said.

The meeting has decided to give authority to party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to mobilize the cadres and leaders until the cases of Covid-19 declines.

The meeting has also decided to give the responsibility to Chairman Dahal to complete the organizational works.

Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has constructed a security post at no man’s land along the Nepal-India border near Biratnagar, Capital of Province 1.

The SSB forcefully constructed the security post at the no man’s land in between Daraiya, Biratnagar Metropolitan City-16 and Tikuliya, Jogbani of India.

Locals said that the Indian SSB built the structure unilaterally without informing the Nepali authorities a month ago.

The international law and regulations prohibits constructing any structure on the border between two countries.

The SSB personnel have started carrying out checks by carrying weapons.

Locals said that they have been monitoring the activities in Nepal in the name of providing security and have started troubling the Nepali citizens.

Local Manoj Khadka said that it is a serious matter that the Nepal government has not taken any action yet even though the Indian SSB constructed the security post in the no man’s land.

Khadka said that the Indian government officials deployed for the border security have been fueling the locals to encroach the no man's land.

“We have been protesting against the construction of structure in no man’s land. The Indian side did not care about the protest.” He said, adding, “The Nepal government has been pretending that it does not know anything.”

People residing near the border said that the SSB personnel have been troubling them a lot.

Manoj Subba, Ward Chairman of Biratnagar-16, said that the SSB has been carrying out its activities taking the advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government should immediately take an initiative to remove the post from the no man’s land. I think the Indian side is hatching a conspiracy to encroach Nepal's land,” he said.

Chief District Officer of Morang Kashi Raj Dahal said that none of the countries can construct any structure in the no man’s land.

The Patan High Court has issued an interim order directing the Mahalaxmi Development Bank not to hold its general assembly.

The bank had scheduled its 20th general assembly at its central office in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu, for January 20. The court issued the order in response to complaints filed against the bank by its shareholders Giriraj Pokharel and Pramod Shrestha.

The petitioners argued that the management wrongfully denied several shareholders from participating in the electoral process to select new bank leadership.

Similarly, the bank management has been accused of only allowing the shareholders close to them to run for elections. The election committee formed to hold the same elections had canceled the candidacy of some shareholders. 

With the postponement of the general assembly, the court has directed the defendants to furnish a written clarification within 15 days.

Earlier, the general assembly of the bank was put off due to a lack of required numbers. Elections of bank operators were also postponed following the court order. The bank’s repeated attempts to hold its general assembly to elect a new governing board has each time been mired in controversy.

Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma has suggested Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to relieve Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Yadav of her position.

He said that Minister Yadav should be removed from her post for making the remarks to incite social violence.

Minister Yadav was dragged into controversy after she threatened to Kill Chairman of Janamat Party CK Raut during a programme organized at a public programme in Rautahat on Wednesday.

Sharma also suggested Minister Yadav to resign from her post.

Minister Yadav had warned of carrying out another Gaur massacre by killing CK Raut.

As many 27 cadres of the then CPN-Maoist were murdered at a Gaur-based rice mill on March 21, 2007. Madhesi Janadhikari Forum, the then party of Upendra Yadav, incumbent Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party had carried out the massacre.

The Nepal government has banned its citizens from traveling to gulf countries on visit visa in the wake of  third wave of Covid-19 pandemic driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that it has decided to impose the ban as many Nepalis are being left in lurch in various gulf countries owing to the travel restrictions.

The decision will come into effect from January 22 until further notice.

Ruling coalition has agreed to fix the date of local level elections.

A meeting of the high-level political coordination committee held on Friday decided to consult with the legal experts for the same, a leader, who attended the meeting said.

Now, the debate on elections have come to an end.

Earlier, a dispute had ensued in the ruling alliance after CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed for early elections.

Addressing the nation on Friday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had also committed to hold the three tiers of elections.

The main opposition CPN-UML has also been piling the government to fix the date of local elections.