Submit your Article

 The price of gold has dropped by Rs 400 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 111, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 112, 300 per tola on Monday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 350 per tola. It was traded at Rs 111, 750 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,375 per tola today.

The government has started distributing Nepali citizenship certificates to Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs). It is NRN citizenship.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal provided the NRN citizenship certificates to Executive Chairman of Association of NRNs, Badri KC, and Chairman Kul Acharya amidst a function organized at his residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday.

District Administration Office, Kathmandu, had issued an NRN citizenship certificate in the name of Executive Chairman KC on Monday, while District Administration Office, Parbat to Chairman Acharya on Sunday. Earlier, the certificates were handed over to PM Dahal by the respective chief district officers.

The NRN citizenship documents were provided in line with Article 14 of Constitution of Nepal. The constitutional provision was further eased with the amendment of Nepal Citizenship Act, 2063.

The NRNs are provided Nepali citizenship, allowing them the economic, social and cultural rights.

On the occasion, Secretary at Home Ministry, Dinesh Bhattarai, informed that the government had made arrangements to distribute NRN citizenship certificates from all 77 districts. With this, the NRNs can apply for such certificates from today onwards.

The NRNA had been demanding citizenship certificates for a long time.

The untimely rainfall has disappointed farmers in Kailali district. The rainfall since Monday afternoon upset farmers as they were about to harvest rice.

They were worried how they could harvest rice safely amidst such erratic weather events.

A farmer from Tikapur, Nirmal BK, said the rice cut down and spread to dry in the field is wet with the ill-timed rainfall. "I waited for a tractor to collect the crop, but it did not come. The rainfall drenched the rice. The storm has further strewn it. If the rainfall continues, the crop will perish in the field," he shared the plight.

Similarly, another farmer Padam Oli said that rice is ripe in the field. He did not cut the rice, worrying about storms on Monday, but the rains coupled with storms damaged ripe rice. "If the rainfall does not stop, it certainly damages the crop," he said, wondering, "Why does rainfall occur when it is time to harvest the rice?"

Most of the farmers in Kailali district are upset, reasoning that rainfall occurs when they are ready to harvest rice. They experienced it for three years. It has resulted in loss of production.

"In 2078BS, the floods triggered by the rainfall swept away the harvest time rice. Last year, we were able to save half of the crops due to early warning," said Hari Chaudhary, adding, "We have not harvested rice because of erratic weather. But the storm coupled with rainfall has damaged half yield this year too. The adverse weather is bane for farmers.

Moreover, another Parbati Chaudhari said that the rice cut down and spread to dry in the field could not be saved due to sudden change in weather. Only half of the crop was saved, she added.

Meanwhile, Tikapur Municipality and Janaki Rural Municipality have suggested the farmers wait for some days to harvest rice.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha reached Beijing on Monday evening to attend the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment, Wang Xiaohong.

DPM Shrestha was welcomed by Ambassador of Nepal to China, Bishnu Pukar Shrestha, and the high-level officials of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, according to a press release issued by Nepali Embassy in China.

DPM Shrestha will be attending the opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

He will address the High-level forum on Green Development “Green Silk Road for Harmony with Nature” at the National Convention Center on October 18.

He is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese Minister of Emergency Management, Wang Xiangsi; and Member of the Secretariat of Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wang Xiaohong, during his stay in Beijing.

Similarly, DPM Shrestha is to meet Chinese Minister of International Department, Liu Jianchao.

The Nepali delegation led by the DPM will return to Kathmandu on October 20, the press release added.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCA) Nepal has announced the cancellation of all the bids that it had received for the construction of a 315-kilometer transmission line.

Assistant Communication Specialist with MCA Nepal, Pushkar Mathema, informed that all the tenders for the transmission lines have been revoked.

MCA Nepal had initiated a global tender in December of the previous year for the design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of transmission lines. After studying technical proposals of six bidders, it shortlisted five Indian companies—Kalpataru Power Transmission, Transrail Lighting Ltd, Tata Projects Ltd, KEC International, and L&T Ltd.

MCA Nepal officials said the tender process was canceled as the quoted costs were up to 65 percent higher than the original estimate. “We will now go for a fresh round of bidding,” Mathema added.

MCA Nepal had invited bids for the 315-kilometer Lapsiphedi-Butwal 400 kV Transmission Line by dividing it into three segments: Lapsiphedi-Ratamate-Hetauda, Ratamate-New Damauli, and New Damauli-New Butwal.

The MCC project officially commenced implementation on Aug 30 after nearly one and a half years of preparatory work. It must complete all the projects within five years. Failure to meet the five-year deadline allows the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to withdraw the project.

However, MCA Nepal has not completed even the preparatory works, including land acquisition, in some areas and tree felling activities.

MCA Nepal has already initiated a $100m bidding process for the construction of 400 kV substations at Ratamate in Nuwakot, Damauli in Tanahun, and Bhumahi in Nawalparasi. The land required for the Ratamate substation has already been acquired, and the process of land acquisition for the transmission line is underway, according to MCA Nepal.

Additionally, the project is in the process of inviting tenders for tree felling for the substation and the right of way for the transmission line. Correspondence and coordination with the Ministry of Forest and Environment are ongoing to secure tree felling approval, it added. The ministry has already assigned the relevant divisional forest offices to conduct tree counting.

Once the tree counting is completed, approval will be sought from the Council of Ministers for tree felling. Furthermore, discussions are underway with the ministry to determine the methodology for tree plantation as compensation for the felled trees.

The construction of the 400 KV transmission line will require the erection of 856 towers. As per the Environmental Impact Assessment (IEA) report, the project will need to fell approximately 202,200 trees across 354 hectares. MCA Nepal has expressed its commitment to planting one tree for every tree felled. However, the ministry has proposed to plant 10 trees for every tree felled or provide equivalent compensation. 

MCA Nepal and its consultants are currently engaging in consultations with local residents before conducting a detailed tree count. It hopes to get the actual details of the number of trees to be planted after the count.

Nepal was selected for the MCC Compact in Dec 2014, while the formal agreement was signed in Sept 2017. The compact was ratified by the parliament on 27 Feb 2022.

The CPN (Maoist Center) has decided to cast the vote of confidence in favor of Koshi Province Chief Minister Kedar Karki.

Karki is seeking a vote of confidence from the third meeting of the fourth convention of the Province Assembly.

The Province Assembly meeting has been called for 11 am on Wednesday.

A Province Secretariat meeting of the Maoist Center held on Monday decided to cast the vote of confidence in favor of Karki by taking consent of the party Central Committee.

Maoist Center Province Chairman Harka Bahadur Nembang said that the decision to cast the vote of confidence in favor of Karki was made by holding a consultation with the center.

By revolting against the decision of the party, Karki was appointed as the chief minister with the support of eight Province Assembly members of Nepali Congress and 39 of CPN-UML on Saturday.

He took the oath of office and secrecy on Sunday.

Karki appointed Ram Bahadur Rana of UML and Shumsher Rai of Nepali Congress as ministers on the same day.

Article 168 (4) states that a person appointed as the chief minister should seek a vote of confidence from the Province Assembly within 30 days of the appointment.

Foreign Minister NP Saud has said that preparations are being made to repatriate the bodies of Nepali students killed in armed attacks by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist militant group which rules the Gaza Strip, in Israel.

During a program organized in the Capital on Monday, Minister Saud said that the Israeli government has handed over five bodies out of 10 to the concerned Nepali authority in Israel. So, preparations are being made to bring the bodies back home as soon as possible.

He said that the other five bodies will be handed over to Nepal after completing the due process.

Minister Saud further said that they are coordinating with the government of other Gulf countries who have relations with Hamas to search for student Bipin Joshi who has been missing in Israel.

The government has already evacuated 254 Nepalis from Israel.

The government is also taking initiatives to rescue other Nepalis who wish to return to Nepal.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced an 18-member squad for the T20 International Triangular Series scheduled to take place in Kathmandu on October 18.

The team will be led by national cricket captain Rohit Kumar Paudel.  

Other members of team are Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Sompal Kami, Binod Bhandari, Kushal Malla, Gulsan Jha, Pratish GC, Karan KC, Sandip Jora, Shyam Dhakal, Lalit Narayan Rajbamshi, Bibek Yadav, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Surya Tamang and Lokesh Bam.

Bowler Sandeep Lamichhane has not been included in the list.

He has withdrawn his name from the list saying that he was in mental pressure and needed to spare time for the family, it has been said.

The International Triangular Series will be held in the Mulpani Cricket Stadium and the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur from October 18 to 27.

The match will be participated by three teams, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hong Kong.

Nepal will play the opening match against UAE.