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Nepal Army Colonel Direndra Malla has been dismissed from his position.

Nepal Army relieved Malla of his position after he was found tempering with his various documents.

The Nepal Army’s court of inquiry removed Malla from his position.

Colonel Malla had been working at the Nepali Mission of the United Nations in New York.

Nepal Army had formed a court of inquiry after a complaint was filed against him stating that he had forged his birth certificate.

Nepal Army spokesperson Gaurav Kumar KC said that Malla has been dismissed from the service with being disqualified for government service in the future.

He said that Colonel was relieved of his duties after he was found tampering with documents during the investigation.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 2.27 points to close at 2,078.76 points on Wednesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 0.55 points to close at 367. 75 points.

A total of 7,209,757-unit shares of 308 companies were traded for Rs 3. 40 billion.

Meanwhile, Nepal Finance Ltd. (NFS) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 9. 99 percent. Likewise, Manakamana Smart Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (MKLB) was the top loser as its price fell by 9.88 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 29 trillion.  

Dengue cases are surging in hilly districts of Sudurpaschim Province lately.

A total of 140 cases of dengue infection have been detected in the Province since January this year with Doti district recording the highest cases at 47, according to Hemraj Joshi, Vector Control Officer at the Sudurpaschim Province Health Directorate.

Achham reported 26 dengue cases, Kanchanpur 24, Bajura 15, Darchula 10, Kailali 9, Bajhang 4, Dadheldhura 3 and Baitadi 2. "There is a high risk of outbreak and spread of dengue infection in Tarai region with rainfall," he cautioned.

Due to extreme heat, mosquitoes are dying in many places in Tarai at present, and as the rainfall starts and it gets a little cold, the risks of dengue infection will increase in Tarai as well, he warned.

With the prevalence of mosquitoes in the hilly areas, the cases of mosquito-borne disease are being reported along with malaria from these places lately, said Joshi.

He shared that medicines, treatment kit, healthcare providers and healthcare facilities are in place for dengue prevention and control.

Separate wards and beds have been managed for dengue patients in the public healthcare facilities, according to him.

Local levels are identifying the areas having larva and implementing the 'Larva search and destroy' campaign as a preventive measure.

The statistics showed that altogether 1,194 cases of dengue were recorded in Sudurpaschim Province in 2023.

Three hundred and forty-two people from 81 families have been displaced due to floods and landslides since the start of the monsoon precipitation in Taplejung.

Chief District Officer Rabindra Prasad Acharya said that five people lost their lives to landslide incidents in a period of a week. According to him, eight houses have been completely damaged while 18 more are at high risk due to landslides.

CDO Acharya added that 55 houses are at risk of landslides in various places in the district. "Eighty-four cattle have been killed due to the flood and landslide. Four vehicles have been damaged while the four bridges, including two motorable wooden bridges, have been washed away by the flood," he said.

Stating that 70 displaced families have been sheltering at the homes of their relatives and neighbours, he said 11 families are taking shelter at a nearby school.

The highest numbers of displaced families are from Sirijangha, Sidingwa, Mikwakhola and Phaktanglung rural municipalities. Four members of the same family were killed when their house was swept away by landslide at Phaktanglung-2 while one person from Phidim, Panchthar died at Sirijangha.

Landslides triggered by the incessant rain have damaged the roads as well as the hydroelectricity projects in most of the rural areas. The local governments are making efforts to repair the roads. Most of the rural roads have been obstructed in Sirijangha and Phaktanglung rural municipalities, CDO Acharya said.

The locals said that the flooding and landslides have caused most damage on cardamom farming. The people in the rural areas are living in fear of rain-induced disasters as it has been raining daily.

The Embassy of India organized a yoga demonstration on the banks of Phewa Lake in Pokhara on Wednesday to celebrate the 10th edition of the International Day of Yoga.

The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from the local community, including officials of local administration, members of various local Yoga organizations, retired Gorkha soldiers of the Indian Army and staff members of the Embassy’s Pension Paying Office (PPO) in Pokhara, who joined in to promote the ancient practice of Yoga for health and well-being.

The celebration began early in the morning with a series of yoga sessions led by experienced instructors, showcasing a range of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation techniques.

Participants were guided through the physical and mental benefits of each practice, emphasizing the holistic approach of Yoga to physical and mental health, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy on Wednesday.

The Embassy of India also organized a yoga demonstration and health consultation with Ayurvedic practitioners in association with Pokhara University.

Prof. Prem Narayan Aryal, Vice Chancellor, Pokhara University graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The Vice Chancellor thanked the Embassy of India for organizing the event and encouraged the student participants to explore the benefits of Yoga in order to lead mindful and healthy lives.

Reputed Yoga instructors delivered lectures on benefits of Yoga and its practical utility in day-to-day life especially for the youth, according to the statement.

The students and faculty of Pokhara University also benefited from expert consultations from reputed Ayurveda experts who provided valuable insights and advice on incorporating Ayurveda and Yoga into daily life.

Locals and businessmen of New Road staged a protest against the decision of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to ban vehicles in the New Road area.

They staged a protest carrying placards and banners with various slogans like vehicle is our right in New Road, say yes to vehicle, New Road was built for vehicle, life without vehicle is impossible and vehicle is not for luxury in New Road among others.

Earlier, the metropolis had prohibited parking in New Road.

Likewise, the KMC’s plan to expand the footpath could not materialize following a dispute with the Road Division Office.

Upon completion of 100 days in office, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Sumana Shrestha made some of her ‘achievements’ public on Wednesday. 

At a press conference held to mark the occasion, Minister Shrestha highlighted that 825 teachers had renounced the membership of different political parties as part of efforts initiated to end politicization of the education sector. 

Out of complaints lodged against 45 teachers, clarifications were sought from 41 teachers whereas four were acquitted, she said, vowing to not let the teachers take membership of any political party. 

Asked about the Education Bill, which is crucial for effecting reforms in the education sector, she said, “Many people ask us: ‘When will the Education Bill come?’ I myself don’t have an answer to that question. We are part of the executive. The Bill is under discussion at the relevant committee of the legislature (the parliament)—another organ of the state. We have requested the parliament to enact the Bill soon. A parliamentary committee is tasked with visiting every province and conducting discussions on the Bill. I think the committee is doing that.”

Minister Shrestha said her team was busy formulating procedures and standards governing the appointment of officials in higher education (at the university level), adding that a committee for recommending candidates for CTEVT vice-chair’s position has already taken shape. 

She vowed to appoint higher education officials like Tribhuvan University Service Commission members and vice-chancellors of universities on merit basis rather than on the basis of the spoils system.

Minister Shrestha informed that her ministry had also initiated an investigation into past irregularities in the education sector, based on the findings of investigative reports on such anomalies.

She said arrangements were being made to stick to the annual schedule and bring about improvements in the higher education sector.

The government has allocated Rs 1bn to Budhigandaki Jalbidhyut Company Ltd (BJCL). Of this amount, the project has received Rs 400m so far. However, the company has been unable to pay its employees’ salaries for the past year.

The company was incorporated in mid-Aug 2022 and started operations in mid-July 2023. Since it has only been authorized to make capital expenditures, it hasn’t been able to cover its recurrent expenses. Jagat Shrestha, the CEO of BJCL, explained that the company hasn’t been able to pay salaries because it hasn’t been allocated a recurrent budget for the current fiscal year. “Since there is no budget heading for salaries, we cannot transfer funds from other headings to pay our employees,” he added.

Before BJCL was incorporated, all activities related to the hydropower project were managed by a project office under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. Following the construction of the 456-MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project with domestic investment, the government decided to implement the Budhigandaki project using domestic resources. Consequently, BJCL was established. After the project unit was dissolved, the operational expenditure heading in the budget was inadvertently omitted, Shrestha noted. He assured that the employees’ pending salaries and other administrative liabilities for the current fiscal year would be settled after reconciling the financial accounts in the upcoming fiscal year.

The 1,200 MW Budhi Gandaki project is located in the Gorkha and Dhading districts. The land acquisition and compensation process for areas affected by the project is currently ongoing. This fiscal year, the plan includes distributing compensation to people whose names are missing from the official land acquisition records. According to Shrestha, Rs 100m is needed for this purpose. Additionally, Rs 60m is required for people who have land plots in the field book but lack a land registration certificate.

The project was first identified 45 years ago when Snowy Mountain Engineering recommended a 300 MW project. The feasibility study was conducted in the mid-1980s.

During the tenure of Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai (Aug 2011 to March 2013), the government adopted a policy to build a reservoir project in each of the five development regions. Due to its proximity to Kathmandu, the government initiated the development of a reservoir-based hydropower project on the Budhigandaki River.

Tractebel Engineering of France prepared a detailed project report (DPR) about a decade ago. The DPR proposed constructing a 263-meter dam two kilometers upstream of the confluence of the Trishuli and Budhigandaki Rivers. The dam will create a 63 sq km reservoir covering 9,630 hectares.

The reservoir will submerge 2,566 hectares of cultivable land, 2,403 hectares of forest areas, and 1,300 hectares of rivers, cliffs, and religious sites. The project will displace a total of 8,117 families. The government has already spent Rs 43 billion on the project. The government has achieved 95 percent progress in distributing compensation to the affected families.