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The cases of drug abuse and smuggling have increased sharply in the past three years in Kanchanpur. Youths carrying drugs as brown sugar, charas, and nitro vet are arrested on a daily basis. In one and half month of the current fiscal year alone, 31 youths including three Indians were arrested for drug supply. "The people with illegal drug are arrested every day," said Police Inspector at District Police Office, Bharat Giri, adding that youths are indulged in drug abuse. He warned that if the parents, society and all tiers of governments ignore this problem, it would emerge more seriously and challenging. Till date in the current fiscal year, police confiscated 127.07 grams of brown sugar, 2.24 charas, and 255 tablets of nitro vet.  Similarly, 11 cases have been filed against drug trafficking. Inspector Giri added that the data showed rising cases of drug abuse and trafficking. Police in plain clothes have been mobilized for taking under control the wrongdoers, while the police, community police and traffic police offices have been conducting public awareness programmes. In the fiscal year, 2076/77, total 55 cases were registered against drug abuse and supply, while it ratcheted up to 143 in 2078/79BS. The data maintained by police revealed that those involved in drug abuse and trafficking were held from Punarbas, Balauri, Beldandi and Dodhara Chandani which share open border to India. The Police Office has taken under control 33 Indian nationals in this connection since 2076.  Even an Indian drug smuggler was killed in the skirmish with police while he was supplying drug at border area of Belauri Municipality. There were 141 cases filed against drug smuggling in the fiscal year, 2077/78.

CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has said that his party was for continuing the development works and keeping up with people's aspiration. For this to happen, the party proposed Chairperson KP Sharma Oli as the next prime minister, he informed. During a press conference organized in the Capital on Monday, General Secretary Pokharel argued that once Chairperson Oli becomes Prime Minister, people's aspiration for development and prosperity would be fulfilled. According to Pokharel, the UML was planning to launch a campaign that every member of the party would engage in election preparation in a way it would increase votes to the party in coming provincial and federal elections.

Hindu women across the nation are celebrating the Haritalika Teej festival with zeal and zest on Tuesday. The day falls on the third day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the month of Bhadra. Women celebrate the festival by fasting, singing, dancing and offering prayers to Lord Shiva. The festival also marks the union of Shiva and Parbati. The festival is a three-day-long celebration which combines gatherings‚ singing‚ dancing, eating Dar and rigid fasting. The first day of Teej is called Dar Khane Din. Swastani Bratakatha explains that Godess Parvati did not consume anything except for a banana and water a night before fasting. Following the same tradition‚ women today make delicious food items and eat them in the middle of the night with other family members to mark the Dar Khane Din. The second day is the fasting day. Women spend the day without a morsel of food and a drop of water. The fasting is observed by both married and unmarried women. Married Hindu women pray for marital bliss along with well-being and prosperity of their spouse while unmarried pray to the deity in the hope of getting ideal husband in future. The festival also marks the purification of their body. The third day of the festival is Rishi Panchami. Women pay homage to seven saints or sages and offer praying to various deities and bath with red mud found on the roots of the sacred datiwan bush, along with its leaves. This act of purification is the final ritual of Teej. Women clad in red sari, bangles, mehendi and ornaments throng Shiva temples, especially Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, to offer prayers. According to the Hindu mythology‚ Goddess Parvati fell in love with Lord Shiva. She wanted him as her life partner. Parvati then fasted and prayed for Shiva. She did not drink even a single drop of water. Pleased by her devotion‚ Shiva granted her wish and finally Parvati was able to get him as her spouse.

Lawmakers have urged the government to ensure voting right of all Nepali citizens living abroad. Airing her views in a zero session of the Parliament today, Durga Kumari Bishwakarma said, “The government must ensure the right to vote of those eligible voters residing aboard during the time of voting.” She asserted that the government should build an atmosphere so that all eligible voters could cast their ballots without hurdles. Dila Sangraula Pant said women are able to compete in the direct election and political parties must ensure tickets for them in the HoR and PA elections. Dil Kumari was of the opinion of sorting out the citizenship issues soon while Deepak Prakash Bhatta called for an end to anomalies in the education sector. Narayan Prasad Khatiwada drew the government’s attention towards expediting road developments projects including the Pasang Lhamu Highway based in different locations in the country. Parbati Kumari Bishankhe demanded the implementation of a full proportional system in the voting of the HoR and PA elections scheduled for upcoming November 20. Prem Suwal apprised the session that Tribhuvan University was locked for 300 days in the past three years, drawing the government’s attention towards the addressing the problem. He also demanded prorogation of the parliament in aftermath of the election announcement. Dr Bijay Subha drew the government’s attention to taking efforts for reviving the Sajha Publication while Dr Pushpa Kumari Karna Kayastha, Parbata DC Chaudhary, Nawaraj Silwal, Dal Bahadur Rana, and Dibyamani Rajbhandari sought the government’s attention towards several contemporary issues including the control of price rise and corruption.

Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City has started collecting details of public and encroached lands. Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Prashant Bista said that the occupied public land would be evacuated by issuing a 35-day notice. The purpose is to preserve the public property, he clarified. "It is the responsibility of the local level to preserve the public land", he said. Mayor Bista further said though the data collection has started it will take around three months to implement it. "The metropolis will carry out study on the buildings constructed without approving maps", he shared, adding, "As public land has been encroached in several places, we will come up with maps of encroached land". All-party consensus would be forged while addressing the issue without being influenced by anyone's force, the sub-metropolis sources said. The sub-metropolis did not have data on public land before.

Beni Municipality in Myagdi has brought into use the online-based revenue information system. The online revenue information system, which was earlier put in place in the municipality, has been expanded in all ward offices since the fiscal year 2079/80 BS (2022/23 AD). Chief Administrative Officer of Beni Municipality, Dholakraj Dhakal said that the online revenue system was put in place as per the concept of 'paperless governance and faceless service'. He further said, "We have used information technology to provide services in a prompt, hassles-free and economized manner. Public service has been decentralized in wards so as to address service-seekers' compulsion to turn up to the municipality office for each work". With this, software is being used to collect details and produce invoice. It has eased local residents to pay revenue at ward office through online system. The system is expected to lower irregularities, promote transparency and prompt service delivery. Likewise, software has been put in place to prepare cost estimate of the project. Vital registration had already gone digital in the municipality. The recommendation of the municipality and wards, its registration and issuance has been made online. Beni municipality mayor Surat KC said ward secretary has been given authority to sign agreement of the budget-allocated project up to Rs 500,000 by arranging technical works at wards. Internet has been installed in all wards to make the online service delivery effective, Dhakal added.

The Tribhuvan University has demanded the government's security stating that it has been receiving threats from a student union. The TU in a statement accused the Nepal Students Union, Kirtipur of issuing threats to TU staffs, office bearers and employees and to padlock, vandalise and encircle it. It has also created obstructions in TU's daily administrative work by barging into the office, it blamed. "Main administrative building of the central office has been padlocked. As a result, TU's day-to-day official work has come to a halt. It has appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs to take necessary action against the group that is trying to take the TU hostage through a padlocking, and manage security personnel and provide security," read the statement. Similarly, as a result of the padlocking of the account section, TU, college staffs and employees across the country under the TU have been deprived of salaries since two months, according to the statement. Also, retired college staffs and employees have also been deprived of pension and gratuity.

Incessant rains since Saturday have caused damage in various places of the district. Efforts made to control the river and reduce damage in Melamchi have failed as the river changed its course due to heavy downpour. Roads in Melamchi, Helambu, Panchpokhari and other villages have been blocked due to floods. Many areas in Helambu have been inundated. As a result, vehicles remain stranded on the road. Many people heading home for the festival including Teej have been stranded midway. Roads in Simkhet in Melamchi and various other places in Helambu, Ramche, Bhotang and Gunsa in Panchpakheri have been blocked. Mayor of Melamchi Municipality Aitman Tamang said Chiefs of Panchpokhari Thangpal, Helambu, Indrawati Rural Municipalities Tasi Lama, Nima Galgen Sherpa and Jhamak Nepal respectively have jointly urged people to move to safer locations from the coastal areas and take necessary precaution considering the risk of floods and landslides. It may be noted that Helambu, Melamchi, Indravati and Panchpokhari Thangpal Rural Municipalities have suffered widespread damage due to floods last year. As a result, many people are worried about the possibility of a similar situation considering heavy rainfall in the past few days.