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The Auditors’ Association of Nepal (AUDAN) held its sixth central committee meeting on Oct 4 in Kathmandu, chaired by President Kedar Nath Poudel. The meeting saw the participation of key figures, including outgoing President and Advisory Committee Coordinator Mohan Raj Regmi, Founder President Kamal Kharel, and Expert Committee Coordinator Surya Prasad Adhikari, alongside both physical and virtual attendees. During the meeting, General Secretary Prem Bahadur Shrestha presented the organizational report, while Treasurer Balram Chaudhary presented the financial report. The session concluded with the approval of nine special proposals addressing critical national and global issues.

According to the press statement issued by First Vice-president and Coordinator of Publicity Department Dol Prasad Dahal, the meeting expressed deep sorrow over the recent floods across the country and urged the government to expedite reconstruction efforts and provide adequate care to the affected. It also raised concerns about the exodus of young manpower and demanded the government implement skill- and employment-oriented education reforms to retain youth and boost the country’s economic development. The meeting further called on the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN) to ensure fairness and transparency in its operations and pressed for amendments to the Nepal Chartered Accountants Act to grant equal membership rights to all auditors.

In light of global conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, the committee voiced concern over the impact on global markets and rising commodity prices, urging peaceful resolutions. The plenary also highlighted the need for better governance and accountability in Nepal and urged the government to address managerial issues within the microfinance and cooperative sectors. Lastly, AUDAN extended festive greetings to all citizens, hoping for peace and prosperity during Dashain, Tihar, Nepal Sambat, and Chhath festivals.

A 75-km route of the road linking Mustang of Gandaki and Dolpa of Karnali Province has been opened.

The road is considered important for the internal trade, tourism development and convenience of the locals in the mountainous districts of the two provinces.

Chair of Varagung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality, Rinjin Namgyal Gurung said the work of opening the road connecting Varagung Muktikshetra of Mustang and Charka Tangsong Rural Municipality of Dolpa under the Manang-Mustang-Dolpa-Jumla road project of the federal government has reached the final stage.

A 40-km road from Jomsom to Eklebhatti, Pakling, Falek, Sangta and an additional 35 km from Sangta to Dolpa border via Yakkharka has been opened, he said.

It is necessary to upgrade 20 kilometers of roads and construct motorable bridges in four places for regular and smooth operation of traffic on this road.

Saying that the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management has allocated Rs 8.5 million in the current fiscal year for the construction of bailey bridge at Sukusamba on the border of Dolpa, Chai Gurung said that a proposal has been made for the government to construct three more bailey bridges or motorable bridges and upgrade the roads in risky areas for regular transport operation.

The government had initiated the construction of a road connecting Manang-Mustang of Gandaki Province and Dolpa-Mugu of Karnali Province from the fiscal year 2075÷76 BS.

According to the Road Division Office, Baglung, 56.5-km of road has been opened from Pakling with an investment of Rs 220 million. A road had already been constructed from Dolpa to the border of Mustang.

It will be so far the shortest route to connect Dolpa with the federal capital, Kathmandu.

Ward member Tshering Pasang Gurung, also a resident of Sangta, said tourists have started coming to visit Sangta and Yakkharka after the construction of the road.

The IUCN/World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) Nepal Chapter has expressed serious concern over the recent amendments made to the ‘National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973’ by the ‘An Ordinance Made to Amend Acts Relating to Investment Facilitation, 2024’. These amendments, particularly in Sections 5(a) and 6(1a), have drawn criticism for potentially undermining Nepal’s conservation efforts and international commitments.

The organization highlighted that Section 5(a) allows the government to designate highly sensitive areas within national parks, reserves, or conservation areas by issuing a notice in the Nepal Gazette. This discretionary power, IUCN/WCEL Nepal argues, could lead to the arbitrary exploitation of protected areas under the guise of development. The amendments could disrupt the balance between environmental conservation and development, as mandated by Article 30(3) of 2015 Constitution. IUCN/WCEL Nepal warned that projects within these sensitive zones, if prioritized for economic gain, may cause environmental degradation and harm Nepal’s globally recognized conservation achievements.

Similarly, Section 6(1a), which permits human intervention for profit-oriented use of natural resources within protected areas, has also raised alarms. IUCN/WCEL Nepal believes this provision could facilitate exploitation in the name of coexistence between nature and humans, ultimately risking the sustainability of protected regions, said Ravi Sharma Aryal, Chair, IUCN\WCEL, Nepal Chapter. 

The organization urged the government to reconsider these amendments, stressing that they contradict both national legal frameworks and international obligations, including those tied to UNESCO-listed conservation sites. IUCN/WCEL Nepal called on the government, parliament, and environmentalists to advocate for the removal of Sections 5(a) and 6(1a) from the ordinance to preserve Nepal’s conservation legacy and protect the nation’s natural heritage from profit-driven exploitation.

The impact of monsoon winds is continuing across the country.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, there is also a partial influence of the low-pressure system formed in and around the northern part of West Bengal, India in the eastern and central parts of the country

According to the meteorological bulletin issued by the Department today, it will be partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Koshi, Madhes, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces. Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places in these provinces.

Similarly, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of the country including Koshi Province tonight and partly cloudy in the rest of the country.

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of Koshi and Bagmati Provinces and at one or two places of the hilly regions of the rest of the provinces.

The Department has urged all concerned to take necessary precautions in view of chances of moderate rainfall in these Provinces.

Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has instructed the Nepalis embassies in Israel and Lebanon to closely monitor the situation of Nepalis there amid increasing concerns about their safety.

The minister held virtual meetings with the Nepali ambassadors in these countries on Sunday, and took information about the latest developments in these countries.

On the occasion, Minister Rana directed maintaining contact with Nepalis there, stressing the need for effective communications and assistance for them.

"Try to get in touch with all Nepalis there. Coordinate for those who want to return home. Do the necessary homework for any rescue and repatriation efforts," she directed.

Minister Rana also directed the issuance of official notices to the respective embassies, instructing them to appoint contact persons and establish help desks for any rescue and repatriation efforts.

Nepal's Ambassador to Egypt Sushil Lamsal informed about the latest situation in Lebanon, confirming the safety of Nepalis there.

It is estimated that around 1,200 Nepali people are there with most of them serving as domestic helpers. Based on information issued by the embassy, only three Nepali individuals have come in contact and they are safe in Beirut, he said, adding that no Nepalis in these countries are reported to be in trouble.

Similarly, Charge d'Affaires to Israel, Kumar Shrestha, said that the situation in Israel is normal and about 4,500 Nepalis there are safe. Additionally, Nepal's Ambassador to Pakistan, Tapas Adhikari updated on the latest situation in Iran.

Drones are being used to supply food and other essentials to a village in Panauti Municipality-12 of Kavre following the disruption of rural roads due to incessant rain last week. 

An organization namely Hami Team Nepal in collaboration with Airlift Technology has started supplying food items, including rice to Magargaun.

Team Nepal's volunteer Parikshyan Humagain said some quantities of rice and materials have been sent to Magargaun on Sunday.

Due to geographical remoteness and blockage of rural roads, the organization has provided relief materials to 85 families of the village with the help of drones.

Humagain shared that an alternative measure has been used to send food stuffs after receiving information that relief materials were needed for 85 families of the floods and landslides that hit the village.

Today, relief materials including rice, solar lights, salt, oil, spices, sanitary pads, lactogen for children will be sent through drones, Humagain said.

Drones have been flown from Bhumidanda of ward 12 as the road leading to the village from Panauti Bazaar has been damaged.

Humagain, also a social activist, said drones can transport up to 65 kilograms of food items at a time. "If the air flow is normal, relief can be sent up to 65 kg, otherwise we will send relief only 20 kg at a time," he said.

The organization has planned to send food items through drones to such places on priority basis as there are reports of similar situations elsewhere.

Humagain said that the data of the settlements and households without road connectivity has been collected for this purpose.

The death toll from floods and landslides in Kavre has so far reached 77. At least 75 people were injured in the incident. This is 31.56 per cent of the country's deaths due to last week's disaster. According to the data, 244 people have lost their lives due to floods and landslides across the country so far.

According to the District Police Office, Dhulikhel, 33 women, 28 men, nine boys and seven girls died in Kavre alone.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has underlined the need for all sides' efforts to cope with disaster.

PM Oli said it while receiving a memorandum submitted by the CPN (Maoist Center) at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singh Durbar, on Sunday.

The Maoist Center drew the PM's attention on making systematic the works of search, rescue and relief distribution in response to the recent floods and landslides that took toll in many districts.

PM Oli vowed the government would take a lead in togetherness for disaster risk reductions. The problems facing the country due to disaster can be tackled together, he added.

Senior Vice Chairman of the Maoist Center, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, said all sectors should play their roles for disaster preparedness, and post-disaster works as search, rescue and relief distribution. Response to disaster is the collective responsibility, he added, expressing commitment that his party was ready to work together with the government for disaster management.

Also accompanying Senior Vice Chairman Shrestha were leaders Agni Sapkota, Dev Prasad Gurung, Barsha Man Pun, Janardan Sharma, and Pampha Bhusal, among others.

Even Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was present on the occasion.

Almost a year back, I was having dahi puri at New road, when a small girl, roughly around 9-10 years of age came to me and asked for money. I asked her if she would have the dahi puri with me and she nodded. She ate it with great delight, at least it seemed so. Then she asked for money again. I asked her where her parents were and she ran away. 

Child beggary is a prominent problem in Nepal, especially in busy city areas. The Prime Minister has committed to ending child beggary in Nepal, but the plans and policies for this are either non- transparent or non-existent till now. 

State has provided the rights of children as fundamental rights in article 39 of constitution of Nepal. Child beggary itself is prohibited by section 66(2j) of child rights act 2075. Article 19 of CRC requires states to protect children from all forms of violence and exploitation, which must be a cardinal point to focus for street children who are highly vulnerable to abuse. Despite these laws, many children still end up begging due to difficult circumstances.

Beyond the specific differences of each case concerning the reason behind the children coming to streets that has been carried out by multiple empirical researches, most of the stories have a common issue that shows the intolerant families situation and the experiences of poverty. Witnessing constant violence and abuse in the home amongst parents, not being able to have a full plate meal are unimaginable experiences for children growing up to go through. So their desire to travel in the hope of finding a better life results in facing a slew of other problems, one of them being children of streets tackling more horrible situations such as being exploited, sexually assaulted, and prone to a number of diseases like malnutrition and injuries. This harsh environment exposes them to dangers like drug addiction, with some as young as nine years old regularly using marijuana and even more harmful substances like glue and benzene, poor living conditions, lack of access to food, education, and healthcare. Research published in the Journal of Health Promotion highlights that street children face numerous hardships, including lack of shelter, hunger, and exposure to violence, drugs, and criminal activities. Most of them are living, sleeping and working under the open sky and engaging to survive as they can without family support, for example, either by presenting themselves as rag pickers, dishwashers, shoeshine boys and others.

Poverty and marginalization of children are often associated with developing countries, but they also exist in the middle of Europe. However, they have time and again brought plans and policies to tackle this problem. The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs has emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue. In its Communication ‘Towards a Strategy on the Rights of the Child’, the Committee advocated for a decisive goal: ensuring that no child remains homeless or living on the streets in the EU. 

On the other side of the world, Brazil came up with the social welfare program called Bolsa Familia, where they provided financial aid to poor families, on the condition that they send their children to schools and get them properly vaccinated. 

In Nepal, various agencies like the National Child Rights Council and various NGOs are constantly working to find a quick solution to this problem, mostly by rehabilitating them with their parents. 

According to the Resource and Information Centre of Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) there are approximately 5,000 street children, with around 1,200 to 1,500 residing in Kathmandu alone in Nepal. Krishna Thapa from Voice of Children (VOC) highlighted that sexual abuse of male street children by foreigners is a severe and rampant issue, and that over 40 such foreign individuals might have been involved.

The Government of Nepal, under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, launched a campaign in 2016 that rescued 574 street children, aiming to eventually eradicate street begging through continued efforts. Despite these initiatives, the Centre for Research on Education, Health and Social Science (CREHSS) notes that the problem remains inadequately addressed by political authorities, with Kathmandu and Birgunj experiencing growing numbers of street children. The core reason being unidentification of the in depth problem, mostly rooted with poverty and socioeconomic reasons.  

Foremost plan of the government must be primary identification of the issue; it could be done by forming a separate committee for its investigation. In current practices, the agencies ‘rescue’ the children  and reunite them back to the family then what? Major problem is poverty itself. Children run away from the family given their harsh socioeconomic background and they will run away once again. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that parents are able to provide at least basic living standards to their children. One of the major steps for eradicating poverty could be by involving parents in employment generation programs. In the cases where their families are not traced, they are sent to child care homes that contribute to their education and basic services, but irregular inspection of these homes by the government causes them to be treated poorly. 

One of the other major problems that is rampant currently is beggary or using a child in beggary, by parents themselve. In Pashupati and various other religious sites, women carry their children in their lap and beg for money. If children are toddler, they roam here and there in the temple. Beggary prohibition act, though remains as a dead law, has restricted using child in any form of beggary. This is one of the forms of using a child in beggary. Many of them are the women who are breastfeeding the baby and begging or taking their children with themselves and begging.

Again, pushing everyone asking for the money from the temple out might not be a solution to this. Rather, the root socio economic cause behind this, i.e poverty needs to be addressed which was never reflected in the intent of the beggar prohibition act, probably one of the reasons it remains non-functional. Such an act defined as ‘crime’ by the law has a deep sociological problem embedded within, that is poverty. 

In terms of statistics, the population of street children are overlooked in census counting, one of the major reasons being their parents remaining untraced. But the constitution clearly provides that a child whose parents remain untraced and are found in the borders of our country are the citizens of Nepal. The vaccination programs to children, or various programs brought by the government for child’s welfare, never encompasses the street children. They are mostly deprived of state run programs and policies for children like health check ups or scanning of certain diseases. These vulnerable populations must be counted countrywide and on the government’s approach. Street children and their families should be included in national census data, health registries, and government welfare databases. This will ensure they are eligible for various welfare schemes, including healthcare, education, and financial support.

Every year, the budget allocated for social welfare programs is not properly utilized, while there are multiple areas for it to work on. KMC budget review of the ongoing fiscal year provides least utilization of the budget in the employment sector, after land management. If the metropolitan can integrate employment generation with coordination from social welfare programs, it could be beneficial. A robust solution for this issue must involve sustainable livelihood programs for families of street children, like creating programs regarding vocational training to the families and a linkage between child welfare programs and existing prime minister employment generation programs. Families of street children should be actively prioritized for these programs, ensuring a steady income source.

Many national and international organizations like NCRC, CWIN have been working to rescue these children from the streets, rehabilitate them or send them to their families. But rehabilitating them or uniting them with family could not be counted as a success rate. Whether or not they have again run away from the family, whether they are living in better condition and happier, promoting their physical, mental and emotional growth must be looked after.Tracking the success rate of children who are rescued, whether they remain with their families, their economic status after intervention, and their overall well-being is another essential way forward. Rescued children and their families should be regularly checked on for at least 2–5 years to prevent re-entry into street life. Partnerships with community-based organizations can help maintain this contact.

Simply rescuing and reuniting children with families or placing them in childcare homes cannot be the final goal. After initial rescue, children need continuous support, one of the crucial ones being Long-term psychological counseling to address trauma, abandonment, or addiction issues. This is another core area the government must focus on. 

Article 39 (9) of the constitution provides that the child who is helpless, orphan, with disabilities, conflict victim, displaced or vulnerable shall have the right to special protection and facilities from the State. To do any legal or administrative work or to carry responsibility for children, law demands a guardian, which in the case of the helpless children, whose home has been the streets, is state. So Dear Guardian, it's high time that you actually execute the laws you have committed to implement, not just surfacially and not just for the sake of showing you did good, but actually researching deep for actual solution of this problem, mostly embedded in economic factors. Efforts must go beyond superficial measures to address the root causes of poverty and provide comprehensive, sustainable support for families. The ‘best interest’ of children is not to be limited in legal provisions. After all, we all were children once. 

Monika Khatiwada

BA LLB IIIrd Year

Kathmandu School of Law