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The government has decided to operate fair-price shops from Oct 8 to Nov 19 in view of upcoming festivals.

According to spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry and Supplies, Gajendra Kumar Thakur, the decision is meant to provide relief to consumers during the festive season. The outlets are expected to keep market prices in check, provide quality supplies and ensure a smooth supply of food commodities at reasonable rates. Thakur added that the idea behind this step is to help people get their supplies at subsidized rates and alert them about possible artificial price hikes.  

The decision, a continuation of past practices, is a step meant to provide token relief to people reeling under food inflation.

The government will operate these shops in collaboration with the Food Management and Trade Company Limited (FMTCL) and Salt Trading Corporation under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and Dairy Development Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. 

Pulses, rice, wheat flour, edible oil and beaten rice will be sold at lower rates—by offering a discount of Rs 7 per kg/liter.

The price waiver also covers beans and grains produced in Karnali, with a discount of Rs 10 per kg, along with goats and mountain goats. The government has allocated Rs 23.22m to FMTCL for running fair-price shops and Rs 10m for the sale of food products through STC outlets this year. STC will sell sugar at Rs 97 per kg through its outlets while a kilogram of salt will cost Rs 2 less, whereas DDC outlets will provide Rs 20/kg discount on ghee and discounts of Rs 20 and Rs 50 on 200-gram and 500-gram paneer.

These commodities will be sold through 35 outlets, including eight selling centers and three mobile shops of FMTCL and STC in the Kathmandu Valley.

Apart from Kathmandu, FMTCL will run fair-price shops in Morang, Jhapa, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Diktel, Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Siraha, Janakpur, Parsa, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski, Tanahun, Gorkha, Manang, Mustang, Rupandehi, Banke, Dang, Bardiya, Rukum East and Rukum West.

The FMTCL will have concessional stocks at 48 places of 42 districts, including Rolpa, Surkhet, Gulmi, Dailekh, Dolpa, Kalikot, Humla, Jajarkot, Jumla, Mugu, Kailali, Dadeldhura, Bajura, Bajhang, Achham, Darchula and Mahendranagar.

Such fair-price shops may be operated in more districts as per the need, the ministry stated. The fixed discount can also be accessed through free online home delivery, mobile service, cooperatives and dealers.

A committee has also been formed for monitoring the fair-price shops that will operate from 10 am to 5 pm. 

The price of gold has increased by Rs 300 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 106, 900 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 106, 600  per tola on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 106, 400 per tola. It was traded at Rs 106, 100 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,310 per tola today.

Bharati Sherpa (Manandhar) continued her hunger strike for the second day on Thursday.

Manandhar started a hunger strike in Maitighar, Kathmandu from Wednesday, demanding justice for her husband Chetan Manandhar.

She began her hunger strike against the decision of the government to grant amnesty to her husband’s murderer gangster Yograj Dhakal aka Rigal.

President Ram Chandra Paudel on the recommendation of Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government granted amnesty to 670 persons including Rigal serving prison under various charges.

She also filed a case at the Supreme Court against President Paudel who pardoned Rigal’s remaining jail term.

Manandhar, who had reached the Supreme Court from the hunger strike venue on Wednesday, fell unconscious at the premises of the apex court and rushed to the Bir Hospital for treatment.

She started her hunger strike again after the treatment.

Weather across the country has improved from today after continuous rains for the past five days.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the atmospheric condition is expected to steadily improve further. 

Meteorologist Govinda Jha said the eastern part of the country has been under the partial influence of a low-pressure system which is now in the process of shifting to the northwest and weakening. Such a shift will have its impact on Sikkim and its surrounding areas, as well as Bangladesh. 

He said that the Koshi Province reports thick cloud cover, while skies in other regions are relatively clear. Although moderate rainfall is expected for the next two or three days, onwards there is no possibility of heavy rainfall.

The Division said that there will be partly to generally cloudy in Koshi Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province 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 Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and at one or two places in the rest of the provinces.

Likewise, tonight partly to generally cloudy is expected in Koshi Province, Madesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province and partly cloudy to mainly fair in the rest of the provinces.

Light rain or thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places in Koshi Province, Madesh Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province.  

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged one and all to remain alert to the possibility of occurrence of any activities capable of provoking communal unrest and disrupting peace and order within the community.

Issuing a statement, the NHRC has called for respecting the dignity and rights of others while practicing the right to freedom of expression and opinion. It has insisted on the responsible use of social sites.

The national rights body has further demanded an impartial investigation into a recent clash in Nepalgunj sub-metropolis and action against those found responsible for the incident.

ALSO READ: Maintaining peace and harmony

The rights watchdog has said that it has already conducted a field inspection in regard to the incident that occurred in Nepalgunj which left 22 people injured.

It may be noted that the Banke District Administration Office issued a curfew order for an indefinite period in the city from 1 pm Tuesday following religious unrest that reportedly erupted from a status posted on social media targeting the Muslim community.

A handful of Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday ousted Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as party infighting plunged Congress into further chaos just days after it narrowly averted a government shutdown, Reuters reported.

The 216-to-210 vote marked the first time in history that the House removed its leader, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy. McCarthy told reporters he would not make another run for speaker.

"I fought for what I believe in," McCarthy said. "I believe I can continue to fight, but maybe in a different manner."

The House looked set to go leaderless for at least a week, as multiple Republicans said they planned to meet on Oct. 10 to discuss possible McCarthy successors, with a vote on a new speaker planned for Oct. 11.

Tuesday's rebellion was led by Representative Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican from Florida and McCarthy antagonist who finally turned on the speaker after he on Saturday relied on Democratic votes to help pass a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown, according to Reuters.

"Kevin McCarthy is a creature of the swamp. He has risen to power by collecting special interest money and redistributing that money in exchange for favors. We are breaking the fever now," Gaetz told reporters after the vote.

It was the latest moment of high drama in a year when the Republican-controlled House brought Washington to the brink of a catastrophic default on U.S. debt of $31.4 trillion and a partial government shutdown.

Republicans control the chamber by a narrow 221-212 majority, meaning they can afford to lose no more than five votes if Democrats unite in opposition.

McCarthy's ouster as speaker brings legislative activity in the House to a halt, with another government shutdown deadline looming Nov. 17 if Congress does not extend funding, Reuters reported.

The White House said it hoped the House would move swiftly to choose a replacement speaker, a position second in line to the presidency after the vice president.

The Industry and Commerce and Labor, and Consumer Interest Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to ensure smooth supplies of daily essential goods during festivals such as Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.

A meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday directed the government to add the number of fair price shops, ensure adequate supplies of food to the remote areas including Karnali and intensify the market monitoring during the festival time.

Sharing about the decisions of the meeting with mediapersons, Committee President Abudul Khan said the government has been urged to take additional efforts to make smooth supplies of daily essentials during festivals.

"The government decision to launch the fair-price shop targeting upcoming festivals is welcoming," he said, adding that the number of such outlets should be increased.

Likewise, the government has been asked to take measures to prevent the potential market irregularities such as artificial price-rise, food adulteration, food supplies on black market and artificial shortages in times of festivals.

During the meeting, the Committee held discussions with betel nut producers and supplies and representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies regarding issues in the exports of betel nuts.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that the government has decided to celebrate the People’s War Day by honoring the sacrifices of people.

Saying that the foundation of the current system is the people’s war, Minister Sharma, who is also the government spokesperson, while making the Cabinet decisions public on Wednesday, said that the government has decided to celebrate the People’s War Day by honoring the sacrifices of people.

The minister was of the opinion that the people’s war, which was fought with the immense support of the people, should not be commented lightly.

She said that the federal democratic republic system would not have been possible had the people’s movement not concluded on the foundation of the people's war.

Making it clear that the people’s war is not the issue of any particular party or person, she ruled out the possibility of withdrawing the decision made by the government.

Earlier on Tuesday, CPN-UML Chairman while speaking at the Parliament meeting had demanded to cut the public holiday of People’s War Day.