Submit your Article

Koshi Province Chief Minister Kedar Karki is seeking a vote of confidence in the Province Assembly on October 18.

Appointed as the Chief Minister in accordance with Article 168 (5) of the Constitution, CM Karki has registered a proposal in the Province Assembly for a vote of confidence as per Article 168 (4), said Province Assembly secretary Gopal Prasad Parajuli.

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

Koshi Province Chief Parshuram Khapung had appointed Karki as the Chief Minister on October 14.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 23. 16 points to close at 1,851.43 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 3. 38 points to close at 355. 74 points.

A total of 4,837,893-unit shares of 284 companies were traded for Rs 1. 25 billion.

Meanwhile, Siddhartha Premier Insurance Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 7. 87 percent. Likewise, Sayapatri Hydropower Limited and Hathway Investment Nepal Limited were the top losers as their price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 84 trillion.

Kedar Karki, a leader from the Nepali Congress’ anti-establishment camp, has taken the oath of office and secrecy as the chief minister of Koshi province from Parshuram Khapung, the province chief, in accordance with Article 168 of the Constitution.

He was elected on Saturday with support from 47 members of the Province Assembly. Karki, considered close to NC leader Shekhar Koirala, managed to become the chief minister with support of 39 PA members from the CPN-UML and eight PA members from the NC, though the coalition government at the Center was against a new coalition in Koshi.  

CPN (Maoist Center) parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Angbo had also staked a claim for the post with the signatures of 47 members. However, Angbo was not present for verification of the signatures.

After the NC’s rebel candidate Karki came to power in Koshi, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Koirala held a meeting at the PM’s official residence in Baluwatar on Saturday morning, agreeing to give Karki a vote of confidence.

Since 26 Dec 2022, when province assembly elections were conducted, Koshi has seen a frequent change of guard. Hikmat Karki of the UML and Uddhav Thapa of the NC each became chief minister of the province in a short span. However, their governments collapsed as they could not win the vote of confidence.

Responding to journalists’ queries, Karki described his appointment as the lawmakers’ “conscious and responsible decision” to avoid mid-term polls in the province. He said the new government was the result of joint efforts from provincial assembly members to rekindle hope among the people for development and prosperity of Koshi.

After Hikmat Karki of the UML resigned as the chief minister on Oct 7, province Chief Khapung had invited assembly members to lay claims to the high office by 5 pm Friday (Oct 13).

After taking the oath, Karki, the new CM, has formed a three-member Cabinet by appointing Shamsher Rai of the Nepali Congress and Ram Rana of the UML as ministers without portfolio. 

Meanwhile, parliamentary party leader of the NC’s Koshi province assembly Uddhav Thapa has resigned. He said it was not ethical to remain in power at a time when a new government had taken shape in the province.

Police have arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in gang-raping a 25-year-old woman in Biratnagar.

The suspects have been identified as Tek Bahadur Tamang (43) and Binod Chauhan (20) of Mithila Bihari Municipality-11, Dhanusha and 16-year-old boy of Sindhuli.

Tamang is the truck (Pradesh 2-04-001 Kha 0021) driver. Chauhan is the assistant driver.

The 16-year-old boy is the assistant driver of another truck, police said.

DSP Ranjan Kumar Dahal of the District Police Office, Morang said that they raped the woman at Biratnagar Metropolitan City-3 in the wee hours of Monday.

According to him, the trio had reached a hotel in the Bus Park in Biratnagar to have dinner after parking the truck.

After having dinner, they returned to the place where they had parked the truck on a city safari, Dahal said.

According to a preliminary investigation, the woman was also traveling in the same city safari. After having a little chit-chat, they took her to the truck parking area and rape her.

Those who reached the incident site after hearing the screaming of the woman had called the police, it has been learnt.

The irate locals also vandalized the truck.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on Richter Scale was felt in hilly districts of Sudurpaschim Province including in Baitadi on Monday morning.

The National Seismological Center confirmed that the quake struck at 9:26 am today.

The epicenter of the tremor was at Mirik at Batan, India.

The District Police Office, Baitadi said that the tremor was felt  this morning and so far they have not received any information about the damage.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 700 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 112, 300 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 113, 000 per tola on Sunday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 111, 750 per tola. It was traded at Rs 112, 500 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,390 per tola today.

Nepal Rastra Bank has started distributing new banknotes to the general public for Dashain festival from Monday.

Each person will be allowed to exchange up to Rs 18, 500 in denominations of Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50 and Rs 100 and 1000, the bank said.

Naresh Shakya, Executive Director of Currency Management Department, said that the bank is planning to issue new banknotes worth around Rs 10 billion.

Meanwhile, people have started queuing up at Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) office in Baluwatar to collect new banknotes for Dashain since early morning.

Former Prime Minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhalanath Khanal left for China on Sunday evening to attend the third 'Belt & Road Forum (BRF) to be held in Beijing, informed party's central foreign secretary Dr Shanker Khatiwada.

According to him, former PM Khanal is also scheduled to address the third BRF to be held on October 18.

During his stay in China, leader Khanal will also have separate meetings with the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party and leaders coming from different countries.

Leader Khanal along with Rabi Laxmi Chitrakar and Prof Dr Yuwaraj Sangraula left for China to participate in the program.

The team will return home on October 22.