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Governance should be based on principles, not partisan interests. With the intent of strengthening his government, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is bringing an ordinance to make it easier to split political parties. During the tenure of KP Oli, his predecessor at Singha Durbar, Deuba as the leader of the main opposition had principally opposed a similar ordinance. This act of hypocrisy suggests the new prime minister is no different from Oli, at least when it comes to misusing the PMO’s powers for personal gains. Moreover, such acts are a threat to our democratic process.

Even during his four previous tenures as prime minister, Deuba was never far from controversy. He was among a clutch of post-1990 politicians who initiated the culture of offering inducements to MPs to bolster the ruling coalition. Even parties with a single seat in parliament got cabinet berths. The latest ordinance has similar aims. Again, this is precisely the kind of naked opportunism that contributed to the unpopularity of the previous government.

Our government representatives seem to have learned little from their previous mistakes. They are still tone-deaf to public criticism and feel entitled to do pretty much as they please. Deuba undoubtedly has an eye on the Nepali Congress general convention in November-end. He wants to use all tools at his disposal to ensure that he is the prime minister going into the general convention. In his calculation, it will then be easier for him to engineer his way back to the party presidency.

Reactionary forces couldn’t be happier. They are trying to remind the public of the ‘golden days’ under a constitutional monarchy and Hindu state. Public memory is short. Our political leaders have been so brazen and shameless in their actions, a sizable section of the public is starting to rethink. 

The allure of a benevolent dictator is an ever-present phenomenon in Nepali politics. Especially if our main political parties go into elections with current leaderships and their stale agendas, the rise of reactionary forces is a distinct possibility. Such foresight, alas, is in short supply among our top leaders.  

‘Tito Satya’ stars Deepak Raj Giri and Deepashree Niarula have invested Rs 90 million in a multiplex hall located at New Baneshwor’s Sankhamul road. The theater will have two auditoriums, according to Giri.

Giri and Niraula, along with their team, hope the hall will be ready by March-April next year. Giri says the money from this theater will be invested back into the film industry. Similarly, Niraula believes that opening a new theater at a time when movie halls are being shut across the country will send a positive message to the prospective audience and reignite their love for Nepali films.

The team also hopes to release more Nepali and Nepal-based movies to promote the country’s film industry and give artists more exposure. 

Known for its extraordinarily reasonable prices and beautiful ambience, the Utpala Café at Boudha is a sanctuary amid Kathmandu’s chaos.

The multi-cuisine vegetarian restaurant, initially a canteen for the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery (Seto Gumba), was changed in the “hope of serving at least one vegetarian meal a day at reasonable price.”

With outdoor seating in a traditionally inspired ambience, Utpala is most famous for its vegetarian buffet that consists of 12+ dishes with main course, bakery, fruits, soup, salad and more at the most reasonable price of Rs 350 a person. Utpala is also vegan-certified where most of the food from the menu can be customized into vegan offerings as per request.

Location: Boudha
Chef’s Special:
1) Crispy Mushroom Salad 
2) Cheesy Potato Burger with Onion Rings
3) Meringue Cake 
Chef Deepankar 
Opening hrs: 7 am to 7 pm
Cards: Accepted
Reservation: 9810700763/9865919090
Meal for 2: Rs 700

Known for its extraordinarily reasonable prices and beautiful ambience, the Utpala Café at Boudha is a sanctuary amid Kathmandu’s chaos.

The multi-cuisine vegetarian restaurant, initially a canteen for the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery (Seto Gumba), was changed in the “hope of serving at least one vegetarian meal a day at reasonable price.”

With outdoor seating in a traditionally inspired ambience, Utpala is most famous for its vegetarian buffet that consists of 12+ dishes with main course, bakery, fruits, soup, salad and more at the most reasonable price of Rs 350 a person. Utpala is also vegan-certified where most of the food from the menu can be customized into vegan offerings as per request.

Location: Boudha
Chef’s Special:
1) Crispy Mushroom Salad 
2) Cheesy Potato Burger with Onion Rings
3) Meringue Cake 
Chef Deepankar 
Opening hrs: 7 am to 7 pm
Cards: Accepted
Reservation: 9810700763/9865919090
Meal for 2: Rs 700

Khalti Digital Wallet in collaboration with the official distributor of TVS for Nepal, Jagadamba Motors, has introduced the facility to make EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) payments online via the Khalti app.

The service was introduced to encourage customers to make digital payments amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

With this service, customers no longer have to face the hassle of visiting the TVS showrooms to pay their bills. They can easily make EMI payments for all types of TVS vehicles like motorcycles, scooters, and tempos from home via Khalti.

Similarly, Khalti has set up Khalti QR for customers’ convenient payment through which they can also make payments from wallets and banks associated with Union Pay.

To make EMI payments online above Rs 5,000 with Khalti, users must get their Khalti KYC verified first.

Leapfrog—a prominent technology company based in Nepal—will organize a three-day online conference starting August 20 featuring speakers from top global companies such as Amazon and Google among others. During “Syntax 2021”, the speakers will share their ideas and experience around building world-class software and products.

“Syntax 2021 is an opportunity for tech enthusiasts to foster conversations that shape the modern IT world. It is a platform to share well-formed thoughts, ideas, and experiences on trending topics related to IT and tech industries,” the company said.

The free event is open to anyone already working or trying to enter the field of tech, IT, and innovation, preferably with a professional experience of about two years. Registration is mandatory and limited. It can be done by August 17 here https://syntax.lftechnology.com/

Complacency is proving to be deadly. The ratio of corona-positives in daily tests is again over 25 percent, which means at least one of every four of us has the Covid-19 virus. The total number of covid deaths, meanwhile, has crossed 10,000.

This isn’t a surprise. Under 10 percent of the population is fully vaccinated yet most folks seem to have thrown caution to the wind. Masks are being ditched. Few are now using the once fashionable hand sanitizer. Public vehicles are crowded again.  

Yes, the vaccination rate is up, as reportedly around 200,000 a day are being administered. Vaccines are also arriving from abroad in large quantities. Yet that does not mean we are safe. Even the fully vaccinated are showing troubling covid symptoms as the virus continues to mutate. For the rest, they simply don’t seem to care. Having had enough of being locked down in their homes, they are breaking free with abandon. Covid numbers are shooting up all over the country and empty ICU beds are again starting to fill up. Authorities meanwhile seem to be groping for a coherent response.

On August 10, the covid-restrictions in Kathmandu valley were extended till August 24, with a new provision that bars non-essential vehicles from plying after 8 pm. But that means little when nearly all establishments have been allowed to open, in clear violation of the restrictive measures. Our local, provincial, and federal authorities, it appears, are happy to be seen as doing something—anything.

Corona-related restrictions are tricky and hard to get right. Health is important but so is getting back to your professional and academic routines, which, when disrupted for long enough, can invite their own set of challenges. The missing ingredient in effective corona control in the past year and a half was trust. Still, not much is being done to regain that all-important component of the social contract between those governing and the governed. And without it, even the best of plans will fail. 

Citing Nepal Rastra Bank regulations, Nepal Investment Bank limited has been found to be deducting one percent as “tax deduction at source” (TDS) charge on remittances received from Google and Facebook. The bank reportedly sent notices to customers who receive money through Google and Facebook, informing them that their payments will be stopped because of an NRB circular. 

A female customer at NIBL’s New Road Branch alleged that her money was withheld by the bank for no reason. She was told to submit her PAN to the bank or her payments would not be deposited into her account. NRB officials, however, inform that they haven’t issued any such circular that allows remittance-receiving banks to deduct TDS. If any bank is doing so, it is illegal, they say.

When Nepal Pukar, a local media outlet reportedly asked Uma Shankar Adhikari from NIBL, who sent out circulars to various branches, he initially replied that it was an order from the Ministry of Finance. When told that the ministry does not send any such circulars to private banks, Adhikari pointed the finger at NRB.

Private sector banks in Nepal, all of which operate under NRB’s guidance, are not allowed to add financial burden on the customers under any pretext. However, NIBL, a reputed A-grade commercial bank with a huge customer base, has apparently been doing so.