Submit your Article

The Rastriya Swatantra Party on Tuesday issued a whip to vote in favor of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in a floor test.

The party directed its lawmakers to be present mandatorily and vote in favor of a confidence motion, RSP General Secretary Mukul Dhakal said. Prime Minister Dahal is seeking a vote of confidence during the Parliament meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

The RSP joined the government by taking four ministries including Deputy Prime Minister and Home Ministry.

The time for taking the vote of confidence will be fixed by holding a discussion in a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee today, Speaker’s press advisor Shekhar Adhikari said.

This is the third time that the Prime Minister is seeking a vote of confidence.

Earlier on Monday, the main opposition Nepali Congress issued a whip to its lawmakers directing them to vote against the confidence motion.   

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane has vowed full implementation of the agreement the government made with usury victims.

A four-point agreement was reached between the two sides. One among the agreement points is the formation of a probe commission.

Reaching the talks venue, DPM Lamichhane said the government was aware about the plights and rights of usury victims. Although the situation turned otherwise, the government was together with the victims for their rights, he reminded.

He, however, said the agreement was a beginning, so the struggle for rights could not stop here. The DPM also apologized to the victims of loan-shark, saying the long struggle took a toll on them.

According to him, the probe commission would furnish suggestions to the government, which would be a base for further action.

Moreover, the DPM shared that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was informed about the agreement. "Now the government shoulders the responsibility to enforce the agreement," he said.

Lamichhane, however, sought some days with the victims of extortionate money lending for enforcement of the pact. He also urged them to continue close watch.

As per agreement, a request will also be made to the Ministry of Finance to make necessary arrangements in the upcoming budget for financial aid, relief and compensation to the underprivileged class so that they do not fall victims to usury.

Foundation stone was laid by  Bhairav Bahadur Saud, Chairman, Badikedar Rural Municipality, Doti and  Shri Prashant Kumar Sona, Second Secretary, Embassy of India, Kathmandu for the construction of  Shree Kedar Jyotipunja Multiple Campus School Building at Badikedar Rural Municipality, Doti District. 

 Being built with Government of India’s financial assistance at the tendered cost of NRs.28.90 million under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’. Political representatives, government officials, social workers, representatives of the Campus management,  lecturers, parents and students  were also present on this occasion. 

The grant under ‘Nepal-India Development Cooperation’, will be utilized for the construction of double storied campus building with other facilities for this campus.  The project is taking up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), under an Agreement between Government of India and Government of Nepal and being implemented through Badri Kedar Rural Municipality, Doti. The project is an important example of the very robust development partnership between India and Nepal. 

Chairman, Badikedar Rural Municipality in his remarks appreciated the continue developmental support of the Government of India in upliftment of the people of Nepal in its priority sectors. Once the construction of this campus building completed, this new infrastructure  will help to provide better education facilities for the students of Shree Kedar Jyotipunja Multiple Campus and would create an improved environment for learning and contribute to the development of the education in this area.  

Since 2003,  India has taken up over 550 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 488 projects. Amongst these, 40 Projects are in Sudurpashcum Province in various sectors, which includes 4 projects in Doti. In addition to these, Government of India has gifted 974 ambulances and 234 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day of India. Amongst these, 60 Ambulances and 20 School Buses have been gifted in Sudurpashcum Province, which includes 8 ambulances and 2 school buses provided in Doti District. 

According to a press statement issued by Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, as a close neighbours, India and Nepal share wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in upliftment of its people, augmenting infrastructure in the field of priority sector especially in the education sector in Nepal, the statement says. 

The government has recommended President Ram Chandra Paudel to relieve the chiefs of three provinces—Madhes, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim.

A Cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to recommend President Paudel to relieve Madhes Province Chief Hari Shankar Mishra, Gandaki Province Chief Prithviman Gurung and Sudurpaschim Province Chief Devraj Joshi of their position, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said.

Meanwhile, the government has recommended the appointment of new province chiefs in their place.

According to her, the government has decided to recommend Sumitra Bhandari as the chief of Madhes Province, Dilliraj Bhatta as the chief of Gandaki Province and Najir Miya as the chief of Sudurpaschim Province.

Sharma, who is also the government spokesperson, said that they were relieved of their position for the necessary coordination between the federal and province governments.

“It is necessary to have coordination between federal and province governments. Ministers are being appointed and dismissed in the provinces. This has been done to facilitate the coordination,” she said.

Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah on Monday appointed Laxman Kishor Chaudhary of Nagarik Unmukti Party as the minister without portfolio.

Province Chief Devraj Joshi administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chaudhary amidst a function.

Among the seven Province Assembly members, five have become the ministers—four ministers and one state minister—in the Sudurpaschim Province.

The Chief Minister on Friday appointed the party's Parliamentary Party leader as Minister for Minister for Economic Affairs, Khusram Chaudhary as Minister without portfolio and Indira Giri as State Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Earlier, Rameshwor Chaudhary was appointed as the Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Apart from Minister for Economic Affairs Shivaraj Bhatta, seven have become ministers from Kailali alone in the Sudurpaschim Province.

Bhatta is a Province Assembly member of Nepali Congress from Baitadi.

The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has issued a whip to its lawmakers to vote against the confidence motion to be presented in the House of Representatives by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. 

NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak, through a note today, issued the directive to the party's lawmakers to mandatorily be physically present in the meeting of the House of Representatives convening at 11 am on March 13, and to vote against the PM's proposal seeking the vote of confidence.

Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to present a proposal in the meeting of the House of Representatives slated for 11 am on March 13, seeking a vote of confidence.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting in Baluwatar on Monday.

UML Chairman Oli had reached Baluwatar to meet Prime Minister Dahal.

During the meeting, they discussed election to the post of National Assembly chair and vote of confidence to be taken by Prime Minister Dahal on March 13.

Narayan Dahal of the CPN (Maoist Center) on behalf of the ruling coalition and Yuvaraj Sharma of the Nepali Congress filed their nominations for the election to the post of upper house chair.

Prime Minister Dahal has already sent a letter to the Federal Parliament Secretariat to make arrangements to seek a vote of confidence on March 13, Speaker’s press advisor Shekhar Adhikari informed.

Prime Minister Dahal is seeking the vote of confidence for the second time.

He sought the vote of confidence for the first time on January 11.

Two persons have filed their candidacies for the National Assembly chair’s position.

Narayan Dahal of the CPN (Maoist Center) on behalf of the ruling coalition and Yuvaraj Sharma of the Nepali Congress filed their nominations for the election to the post of upper house chair to be held on Tuesday.

An office-bearer meeting of Maoist Center held on Sunday decided to pick Dahal as a candidate for the position. He is the brother of Prime Minister and Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Dahal was nominated as a member of the National Assembly by the President on the recommendation of the government in 2021.

With the formation of a new alliance, an agreement was reached among CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, CPN (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane and Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav to support the candidate of Maoist Center for National Assembly chair and UML for vice-chair.

Sharma (74) is a resident of Banke.

Sharma, who worked as the president of Banke district in 1988, was the vice-president of the Nepal Students Union, student wing of the Nepali Congress, when party President Sher Bahadur Deuba was the president of the NSU in 1971.

The position remained vacant after Ganesh Timilsina retired after completing his six-year tenure on March 3.