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The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has received numerous complaints against staffers and people's representatives of local units in Madhesh Province.

The Bardibas-based regional office of CIAA has jurisdiction over Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, and Sarlahi of Madhesh Province; Okhaldhunga, Khotang, and Solukhumbu of Koshi Province; and Sindhuli and Ramechhap of Bagmati Province.

According to the office, it has received 442 from Dhanusha district which is the highest in Madhesh Province. Most of the complaints are related to irregularities in Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City. Similarly, it has received 295 complaints from Siraha, 240 from Mahottari, and 236 from Sarlahi.

The majority of the complaints are against irregularities in local units. In fiscal year 2022/23 and the first month of 2023/24, a total of 1,145 complaints were received against local units. Of these, 65 have been resolved, while the remaining 1,080 are under investigation, according to the office.

Data from the regional office reveals that most of the complaints are related to irregularities in public procurement and construction, often involving collusion between staffers and elected people's representatives. “Preparing wrong estimates and specifications, splitting projects to favor contractors, making unnecessary procurements, subpar construction work, and the misuse of consumer committees to bypass laws and regulations are among the common issues mentioned in the complaints,” said Sunil Chaurasiya, a section officer at the regional office.

Additionally, there are complaints about administrative misconduct, corruption in training and capacity development, irregularities in service delivery, the use of counterfeit educational certificates and licenses, revenue leakage, and irregularities in the distribution of social security allowances, among other issues, Chaurasiya added.

Officials acknowledge that the regional office has been facing challenges in resolving cases promptly due to a backlog of cases. “Concerned offices often delay registration of our letters and take a significant amount of time to provide supporting documents. In some cases, they fail to submit any documents at all. These actions significantly impact our work,” Chaurasiya added. “When we attempt to contact the heads of the relevant offices by phone, they often do not respond.”

Chaurasiya said that investigations won’t not gain momentum if the constitutional anti-graft body does not receive the necessary support from public offices.

Constituent Assembly Chairman and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Nembang has been cremated with state honors at Pashupati Aryaghat in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal draped the body of Nembang with the national flag and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli with the party flag at Aryaghat.

Nembang’s sons Mingso and Suhang Nemang lit the funeral pyre.

Before his funeral pyre was lit, Nembang was accorded a guard of honor by a contingent of Nepal Army.

Nepal government ministers, senior leaders of various political parties, relatives, family members and well-wishers were present at the Aryaghat.

Prior to last rites were performed, the funeral procession was marched to Pashupatinath temple via Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Narayangopal Chowk, Dhumbarahi, Chabahil and Gaushala.

His body was kept at the party headquarters in Chayasal till 1 pm on Wednesday for final tributes. Then the mortal remains were taken to his Baluwatar-based residence.

The government has declared a public holiday today to mourn the demise of a key architect of Nepal’s new constitution.

The government has also decided to fly the national flag at half-mast in all the government offices and Nepali missions abroad to mourn the demise of Nembang.

Nembang was rushed to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital after he suffered a heart attack at 1:40 am on Tuesday. But doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. He was 71.

The gold is being traded at Rs 111, 200 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 110, 650 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,385 per tola today.

The bodies of four Nepalis who died during the foreign employment in Saudi Arabia have been sent to Nepal.

According to the Nepali Embassy in Riyadh, the bodies sent to Nepal are from Bardiya, Palpa, Udayapur and Morang districts.

The number of people who died due various reasons in Saudi Arabia from July 17, 2023 to till date has reached 43, the Embassy said.

According to which, 27 people have died in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, 14 in Riyadh region and two in Al Qassim region.

As per the report, 24 died of natural causes, seven committed suicide, three died in road accidents, four died while working, one person drowned and the reasons behind the death of four persons are yet to be ascertained.

Out of a total of 43 people who died during this period, the bodies of 33 have already been sent to Nepal.

The bodies of four persons were sent on Tuesday while preparations are underway to send the remaining six bodies.

The Embassy said that it would take around a month to send the bodies to Nepal from Saudi Arabia.

The funeral procession of Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman and CPN-UML leader Subash Chandra Nembang has begun.

His last rites are to be performed shortly at the local Pashupati Aryaghat with state honors. The funeral procession began from his residence in Baluwatar.

Nembang passed away on Tuesday due to a cardiac arrest. He was 71.

Constituent Assembly Chairman and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang will be cremated with state honors on Thursday.

Party Publicity Department Secretary Gagan Bista said that Nembang will be cremated with state honors at the Pashupati Aryaghat at 11 am today.

The mortal remains of Nembang were kept at the party headquarters in Chyasal, Lalitpur for final tributes till 1 pm on Wednesday. Then the body was taken to the Baluwatar-based residence.

The government has announced a public holiday today to mourn the death of a key architect of Nepal’s new constitution.

ALSO READ: Subas Chandra Nembang: Key architect of Nepal’s new constitution

The government has also decided to fly the national flag at half-mast in all the government offices and Nepali missions abroad to mourn the demise of Nembang.

Nembang succumbed to a heart attack at 1:40 am on Tuesday while receiving treatment at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj. He was 71.

Kushe Aunshi, a Hindu religious festival, is being observed across the country on Thursday by bringing kush, a holy grass used in the performance of various religious rituals, into their homes.

There is a religious belief that keeping kush cut by the priests and anointed with sacred verses or mantras in the house brings wellbeing to the household.

The Hindu community regards kush, Tulashi (basil plant), peepal and shaligram (ammonite stone) as the symbols of Lord Bishnu.

The day is also celebrated as Father's Day or Gorkarna Aunsi.

People across the country celebrate this day by showing respect and reverence to fathers. On this day, children feed their fathers delicious food items including sweets and show respect to them.

Those who have lost their fathers take an early bath and visit nearby temples to perform shraddha (annual death rituals) in honor of the departed souls. Children also take blessings from their living fathers.

Meanwhile, people have thronged the Gokarneshwor Temple in the capital and other various Hindu temples across the country since this morning to perform the shraddha in memory of their late fathers.

The Centre for Social Inclusion & Federalism (CESIF) held a seminar on ‘The Evolving Nepal-China Relationship: Navigating Challenges & Seizing Opportunities,’ at Marriott Hotel in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

The seminar was divided into three panels: ' Nepal-China Relations: Current Status,’ ‘Looking to the Future: Chinese Initiatives, BRI, GSI & National Security,’ and ‘Politics of Bilateral Relations.’

The seminar was timed to coincide with the Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Beijing this month.

Vijay Kant Karna, Executive Chair at CESIF, began the discussion program with a welcome remark. He pondered the Prime Minister's impending visit and the weight it carries for Nepal-China diplomatic relations.

“The Prime Minister’s visit is seen as an important occasion to resolve the existing issues and strengthen the bilateral ties. It is expected that PM Dahal will hold a discussion on the various avenues of bilateral relationships, including the long-stalled BRI projects and other issues of economic and bilateral cooperation,” he said, reads a statement issued by Centre for Social Inclusion & Federalism.

“While PM Dahal will have a hard time managing the diversified priorities of the parties in the ruling coalition back home while dealing with China, PM Dahal’s visit is expected to bring forth some tangible benefits to strengthen the bilateral relationship and resolve existing differences.”

The first session on ‘Nepal-China Relations: Current Status,’ brought together Ambassador Madhu Raman Acharya, former ambassador of Nepal, Purushottam Ojha, former secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and Avasna Pandey, Lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Tribhuvan University.

The session was moderated by author and researcher Amish Mulmi.

The session brought to the limelight Nepal’s need to focus on trans-border connectivity for improved cross-border trade, improved B2B movement, and better negotiations through varied forums. "China has been shifting its goalposts regarding its engagement in Nepal.

Earlier China’s engagement was confined largely within arenas of security and trade but now China wants Nepal to be a part of its diverse initiatives – this is directed at realizing its larger geopolitical aims and ambitions," Ambassador Madhu Raman Acharya said.

The second session on ‘Looking to the Future: Chinese Initiatives, BRI, GSI & National Security’ brought together General Gaurav Shumsher JB Rana (Retd.), former Chief of Army Staff at Nepal Army, Ambassador Dinesh Bhattarai, former ambassador of Nepal, Chandra Dev Bhatta, Political Scientist and Public Intellectual and Anil Giri, senior journalist at The Kathmandu Post.

The session was moderated by Ambassador Vijay Kant Karna, Executive Chair at CESIF.

The session brought to attention China’s new global initiatives and their implications for Nepal.

“In the current geopolitical context, Nepal would be wise to stick to its Constitution's principles of Panchasheel and non-alignment. We must be cautious but also flexible in our foreign policy; flexible being the keyword.” Gen. Gaurav Shamsher JB Rana (Retd.) expressed.

The final session on the ‘Politics of Bilateral Relations,’ brought together Shisir Khanal, Member of Parliament, representing Rastriya Swatantra Party, Dr Minendra Rijal, former Defense Minister of Nepal and Nepali Congress leader, Dr Lila Nyaichyai, Professor at the Tribhuvan University and the former member of the Constituent Assembly and Hari Sharma, Executive Director at Purak Asia and a Public Intellectual.

The session was moderated by Dr Govinda Raj Pokharel, former Vice Chairperson of the National Planning Commission and the Central Committee member of the Nepali Congress.

The panelists discussed the necessity to capitalize upon the Nepal-China relations whilst understanding China’s regional and global position.

“There has been a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape when compared to that of the 1950s, 60s – so, drawing parallels between these different contexts to analyze the contemporary geopolitical situation wouldn’t be so apt- and it doesn’t help in our diplomatic endeavors either.” Khanal shared.

The Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Beijing was agreed by all to be a good opportunity to improve bilateral ties.

Panelists also shared a few priorities for the visit, including the implementation of previous agreements, negotiation for trade facilitation, upliftment of unilateral border control of different border points, and FDI traction.

The seminar event brought together noted intellectuals, academicians, politicians, bureaucrats, and journalists.

Centre for Social Inclusion & Federalism (CESIF) is a not-for-profit, autonomous, and independent private research institution serving the public interest, with significant independence from any interest group. Our mission is to help the government create a democratic, secure, and just society by making informed and transparent decisions about policies and practices.