Submit your Article

The seven-member parliamentary committee formed to investigate various cooperative scams has officially begun its work. Although the committee’s terms of reference do not specifically mention Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, its mandate includes studying claims that he misused funds from different cooperatives. The committee is powerful as it has a mandate of the House of Representatives, and its jurisdiction and terms of reference give it the authority to conduct a free and fair inquiry. However, there are concerns about the committee’s impartiality, given that the committee is under a lawmaker from CPN-UML, a party that has strongly supported Lamichhane despite opposition from other parties.

The main opposition, Nepali Congress (NC), has continuously disrupted House proceedings since the second week of March, demanding Lamichhane’s resignation. NC alleges that the hard-earned savings of commoners, parked in fixed deposit accounts at Supreme Cooperative of Butwal and Suryadarshan Cooperative of Pokhara, were illegally transferred to Gorkha Media Network. Lamichhane briefly served as a director of the company and hosted his show Sidha Kura on Galaxy TV, operated by Gorkha Media Network. The home minister has been maintaining that he hasn’t received a penny from the cooperatives. Although the ruling parties were initially against forming a parliamentary inquiry committee, they finally agreed to form the committee on the condition that Lamichhane’s name is not included in its mandate.

Much will depend on how the committee interprets and executes its mandate. A half-hearted probe that succumbs to external pressures and partisan interests will only deepen public cynicism about parliamentary oversight mechanisms. Nepali people have witnessed such failures before, where inquiry panels did not hold power centers accountable on multiple occasions. However, a thorough and impartial investigation can reignite public faith in democratic institutions and processes. By allowing the facts to speak for themselves, the committee can dispel the suspicions surrounding Lamichhane’s conduct. An independent inquiry that calls out the failure to observe standards of honesty, irrespective of positions or affiliations, would uphold the constitutional ideals of checks and balances.

The inquiry panel’s works and actions will be a litmus test of Nepal’s democratic principles and commitment to the rule of law. Any shortcoming in the investigation process could have repercussions far beyond this specific case. If that happens, it would only embolden unscrupulous people to defy legal and ethical norms with impunity.

The Purbanchal University (PU) has awarded the ‘Om Prakash Goel Gold Medal’ to journalist Sushil Darnal. He received the medal for securing the top position in the examinations for the ‘Masters of Arts in Mass Communications and Journalism (MAMCJ)’ in 2020.

Darnal, who studied at Polygon College in Kathmandu, achieved a GPA of 3.39 to earn this distinction. He has been practicing journalism at the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), the semi-government news agency of Nepal, for the past 13 years.

At a ceremony organized on the occasion of Purbanchal University’s 10th Convocation on Saturday, Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Devendra Poudel, along with the Founder and Executive Director of the Tilganga Eye Foundation, Prof Dr Sanduk Ruit, jointly presented the gold medal to Darnal.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has received an invitation from the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to attend the 'Summit of the Future' being held in the US in September.

UN Resident Representative in Nepal, Hanna Singer-Hamdy, met PM Dahal and handed over the invitation letter to him on Thursday, according to PM's press advisor, Manahari Timilsina.

In response, PM Dahal expressed gratitude to the UN Secretary General for visiting Nepal, observing the climate impacts and globalizing our concerns. He informed Singer that he was positive towards participating in the event.

The UN Resident Representative viewed Nepal had contributed significantly to the UN's world peace campaign. She underlined that Nepal could attend the Summit of the Future to showcase Nepal's efforts on coping up with climate change impacts.

The world event to dwell on contemporary challenges ranging from climate change impacts to the initiatives for SDGs is scheduled for September 22-23 at the call of the UN.

The government has decided to recall Nepali ambassadors to 11 countries including India and the United States.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made the decision to this effect.

According to government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma, the government has decided to recall the Nepali ambassadors to India, the United States, the UK, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Malaysia, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Israel.

A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) called on Finance Minister Barshaman Pun on Thursday.

The delegation is led by Dr Tidiane Kinda, the Deputy Division Chief for the Asia and Pacific Department and the IMF Mission Chief for Nepal.

The delegation called on the minister at the latter's office in Singha Durbar.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the allocation of the fourth installment of loan assistance under the Extended Credit Facility-ECF to Nepal, according to the minister's Secretariat.

It may be noted that the IMF Executive Board had in January 2022 agreed to provide 398.08 million US dollars to Nepal under the ECF during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the total promised assistance, Nepal expects to receive 42 million US dollars (Rs five billion 590 million) as the fourth and final installment.

Before deciding to allocate the fourth installment of ECF, the IMF makes a review of the progress over the implementation of commitments and the IMF delegation has been in Nepal for the same purpose.

During the meeting, the minister told the IMF delegation that economic stability, good governance and fiscal discipline are the top priorities of the government.

Dr Kinda said the review of the ECF for Nepal is about to complete and the remaining amount will be released soon.

He praised Nepal's efforts in advancing its financial and monetary policy and maintaining fiscal discipline.

Nepal has been spending the amount it received from the IFM under the ECF keeping under the budgetary assistance headings.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 1. 93 points to close at 2,077.78 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 1. 27 points to close at 370. 34 points.

A total of 8,813,374-unit shares of 322 companies were traded for Rs 4. 38 billion.

Meanwhile, Emerging Nepal Limited (ENL), Bhagawati Hydropower Development Company Limited (BGWT) and Mid Solu Hydropower Limited (MSHL) were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited (MKHL) was the top loser with its price dropped by 6. 40 percent.

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

Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma has urged the government to be entirely free from prejudices while investigating individuals accused of criminal offenses or other wrongdoings.

During a special session of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, the lawmaker stressed that the government must convey a message that it treats all individuals equally in investigations over any accusations.

He said that the government apprehended media entrepreneur Kailash Sirohiya over the citizenship issue, but no significant findings came during the investigation.

The leader added the NC is ready to cooperate with the government fully if it ensures impartial investigations against any alleged cases of irregularities since the 1990s.

He praised the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate alleged fraud involving cooperative funds, which also has alleged involvement of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rabi Lamichhane.

Sharma viewed this as a positive step.

However, he criticized Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal for seeking a vote of confidence on May 20 despite having 22 days left before the deadline, amidst opposition obstructions.

"The move is dissenting for the party." The leader expressed his concerns over the accusations against the party by CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma.

He challenged the Home Minister to prove the party's involvement in the sale of public property to the company and take action if the charge is proven.

He also criticized the statement of the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in the Parliament accusing the party of leaking the nation's information to foreigners.

To mark the centenary of the 1924 Everest Expedition, the British Embassy  invited Nepali and international friends to highlight the early contribution to links between Nepal and the UK in the spheres of tourism and mountaineering.

A photo exhibition about the 1924 Everest Expedition was mounted at the Embassy on Tuesday.

Entitled The Fight for Everest 1924, it was first displayed at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) last week, linked to screening of the documentary Everest Revisited (www.mef.org.uk/news/mef-to-premiere-new-film-on-1924-everest-expedition). The collection will now move to Pokhara for permanent display at the International Mountain Museum (IMM).

Speaking at the Embassy event on Tuesday, Ambassador Rob Fenn commented that, although the 1924 expedition had not come to Kathmandu, Nepalis played an important role in it and “have continued to be pivotal in Everest attempts since.” He added that “Britons are besotted with raw courage”. “It’s what has been drawing us to Nepal and to Nepalis for more than two hundred years”.

Ambassador Fenn shared news announced in the UK in December, that Nepalis are now eligible to apply for expedition funding from the UK-based Mount Everest Foundation (www.mef.org.uk/news/mef-opens-grants-to-nepali-applicants), reads a statement issued by the British Embassy.

Since its inception in 1955, the MEF has provided funds to over 2,000 expeditions in remote locations and to scientists researching high-altitude medicine, glaciology and climate change.

John Porter, Director and Producer of “Everest Revisited” and MEF’s Honorary Secretary said “It is an honor to represent the Chair of the Mount Everest Foundation, Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to climb Everest, at this reciprocation of the event hosted by His Excellency Gyan Chandra Acharya at the Embassy of Nepal in London on the International Day of the Mountains last December”.

Porter was also representing the Alpine Club, as associate curator of the exhibition.  “Alpine Club member, Ian Wall, created this superb exhibition with the financial support of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.  I am looking forward to seeing it reach its permanent home in Pokhara on 8 June. One hundred years on from the 1924 Exhibition, The Royal Geographical Society and Alpine Club are delighted they have been able to work together on this exhibition as they did on the expeditions in the 1920s”.

The change in funding criteria helps mark the next chapter of the Britain-Nepal mountaineering story. Ambassador Fenn and guests from the Nepali and international tourism, trekking, and climbing sectors congratulated MEF for making this change.