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Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has reminded that a license is required to provide internet service.

Issuing a notice today, the telecommunications regulatory body stated that clause-21 of Telecommunications Act- 2053 BS (1997) has banned the operation of telecommunications services without permission and urged one and all to abide by it.

As the notice mentions, the NTA has received complaints that internet service via satellite is being operated for the past few days and it is against the law.

The NTA has warned that it would take an action as per the law in case of a violation of the Act.

It has also urged the public to cooperate for the effective implementation of the Act, requesting one and all to inform if there is any case of the operation of service without permit.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and Nabil Bank have reached an agreement to allow public to use bank's washrooms for free.

As per the agreement, public can use toilets set up in 17 bank branches including its central office in the city for free for five years. The service is completely free and repair, tidy and water management will be borne by the bank itself.

Following the election of Balendra Shah to the KMC mayor, the metropolis has urged and intensified cooperation with private sector in a bid to address the problems of public toilets in the city. As per the effort, private sector has been asked to open their toilets for public use for free.

For uniformity and identification of private toilets that are allowed for public use for free, 'Sarbajanik Shauchalaya' (Public Toilet) against the blue background has been written in the Nepali language.

As per the decision taken by the first meeting of the KMC under the leadership of Mayor Shah, 58 public toilets within the city would be reused after repair, and 60 more would be open for public use for free through cooperation with private sector, said the KMC administration chief Mahesh Kafle.

Nepal and Switzerland have signed an agreement for the implementation of the project "Reintegration of Returnee Migrant Workers (ReMi)" utilizing the Swiss Franc 6.8 million (equivalent to Rs. 861.3 million).

The objective of project is to help workers returning from foreign employment reestablish themselves in society and actively participate in social, cultural, economic, and political life. The project aims at strengthening their capacity to define their plan of reintegration and utilization of knowledge, skills, capital, and experiences achieved through employment abroad, according to the Ministry of Finance.

The project will be implemented at 20 local levels in two provinces, Province 1 and Madhesh Province for four years starting from July 2022. The amount of assistance will be recorded in the GON Red Book and implemented at the local level.

Joint Secretary Ishwori Prasad Aryal, Head of International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division (IECCD), Ministry of Finance, and Silvana Hogg, Chargée d'affaires ad interim, the Embassy of Switzerland, signed and exchanged the agreement at the Ministry today on behalf of their respective governments.

Delivering a short remark following the signing ceremony, joint secretary Aryal outlined that the implementation of this project is crucial for reestablishing the returnee's migrants into the society and defining their plan of reintegration into social, political, and economic life. "It also helps to utilize the knowledge, capital, know-how, and experience achieved through foreign employment in Nepal's socio-economic development." He also overviewed the development cooperation account concluded through Swiss assistance in Nepal.

Similarly, Hogg noted that there is a huge potential to link migration with development. "Switzerland has gathered rich experiences in the field of migration in Nepal through its decade-long engagement in this sector. Switzerland is committed to supporting Nepal in implementing its policies and plans to benefit migrant workers."

The ReMi project will work with different spheres of government, private actors, networks, and migrant workers to increase the social and economic benefit for returnee migrant workers.

The government has expressed its sincere appreciation to the Government of Switzerland for its invariable support in socio-economic development and advancement of human resources in Nepal, the Ministry said in a press note.

Some parts of the country are to receive light to moderate rain with partial to general changes in weather conditions across the country on Wednesday.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the eastern region of the country is currently under the influence of monsoon winds and central and western part under local winds. 

Due to the effects of the system, there has been a change from normal to complete in Province 1, Madhes Province, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces while partial to normal change in remaining provinces. 

Some parts of Province 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Madhes Province and one or two places of Karnali and Lumbini provinces are likely to receive light to moderate rain.

The High Court Surkhet has issued an interim order not to take any admission fee from students while enrolling in community schools.

A division bench of Judges Madhav Prasad Pokharel and Punam Singh Chand ordered not to charge any fees to students until the final decision is made on the petition.

Issuing the pro-tem interim order on May 6, the High Court had called both sides for May 24 to hold discussion for interim order.

After hearing the discussion of both sides, the Court on Monday issued an order not to take any-type of fees from students.

The order reads, “The issues of ensuring the rights of the children of getting free education mandatorily till class eight and free education from class nine to 12 cannot be ignored.”

Advocate Khem Raj Jaisi Tiwari had filed writ petition, saying community schools in Surkhet have been charging fees arbitrarily from students against the right of getting free education ensured by the Constitution of Nepal.

A meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today passed a proposal to seek considerations over a bill to amend some acts relating to the criminal offence and criminal procedure- 2079 BS.

The proposal presented by Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Govinda Prasad Sharma Koirala was unanimously passed by the meeting. Responding to queries raised by lawmakers during the discussions on the proposal, the Minister said the bill aimed to rise above the provision of compensation and to ensure repatriation to survivors.

As the Minister explained, internationally laws regarding criminal offences were being formulated through a new approach, the provision of reparation had been implemented and the government had tried to assimilate this trend.

He made it clear that just compensation was not enough to patch up damages and harms to survivor and the government was aware that its special attention was required not to let such incidents reoccur.

According to the Minister, the government has a policy of dealing with serious nature of crime and incidences of human rights violation seriously. He was hopeful of broader discussions on the issue during the clause-wise deliberations on the bill.

Prior to this, lawmaker Pushpa Bhusal Gautam demanded further clarifications on the act against acid for easy livelihood of survivors.

Binda Pandey apprised the House that woman was becoming the target of acid attack just for refusing to accept a love proposal. She demanded stricter measures in the production and supply of acid, stringent action against perpetrator(s) and proper justice to survivor(s).

Prakash Snehi voiced for controlling the acid market by a law while Shibamaya Tumbahangphe said the incumbent government coming up with the bill to recognise measures taken by the previous government through an ordinance was welcoming.

Durga Kumari BK, Dr Dila Sangroula Pant, and Prem Suwal sought the measures against the unchecked acid market and the guarantee of easier livelihood of survivor.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the government is committed to making necessary work plans to mainstream the provinces which are comparatively backward in terms of cooperation in the three tiers of government.

“The initiatives of and suggestions from the Sudurpaschim Concern Forum would be helpful to frame development policy and plan and carry out implementation in the federal and provincial governments,” he observed.

PM Deuba reminded that after passing SLC from Uchchakot School of Doti, he had to make a long journey to arrive in Kathmandu for higher study- the travel was sometimes on foot and sometimes by train and bus via the country and cross border. The travel up to Dhangadhi was all on foot, the border crossed to catch a train up to Raxaul.

“Comparatively, the far-western region has now witnessed much development. It is connected to the federal capital with transport facility. However, development as per expectation is awaited,” PM Deuba said, arguing that if the Paschim Seti project is made, this province will be developed more.

According to him, all sides’ contribution is imperative to aid the government’s efforts to wipe out poverty and inequality. He also shared that an agreement was made with India for the construction of the dry port. Foreign investment is necessary to ensure speedy development in Nepal, the PM emphasized.

The Sudurpaschim Concern Forum has been working for the development of far west Nepal for 16 years. Forum’s Chairperson Bishnu Prasad Khatri submitted a memorandum to the PM on the issues of concern in Sudurpaschim Province.

Though monsoon is yet to start in Nepal, pre-monsoon activities are taking place.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said monsoon is likely to enter the country within the next two or four days.

Meteorologist Hira Bhattarai said that monsoon is expected to set in motion from eastern Nepal within the next few days. It is likely to start from the surroundings of Mechi zone. “Now we are in the monsoon transition phase,” Bhattarai said.

Though rainfall is predicted in some parts of Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province today and tomorrow, it is unlikely in the western parts of the country.

In Nepal monsoon tentatively begins on June 10 and it will enter from the eastern part moving towards the west gradually.

Four months: from June to September is defined as the monsoon period in South Asia. During this period, Nepal receives 80 percent of annual rainfall.

Presently, Nepal is under the influence of local winds and the low-pressure area spreading from Uttar Pradesh of India to east Bangladesh.

According to the Division, due to the same atmospheric condition, there is currently generally to completely cloudy in Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province and light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at some places of Province 1, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province, and at a few places of Madhes Province.

Likewise, tonight there will be partly to generally cloudy in Province 1, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province along with partly cloudy to mainly fair in the rest of the country. Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of Province 1, Madhes Province, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province, the Division said.

Today the minimum temperature of Kathmandu was measured 20 degrees Celsius followed by the 28 degrees maximum.