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Finance Minister Rameshwor Prasad Khanal has urged all concerned authorities to engage confidently in election preparations.

Arriving in Baglung today to monitor the election preparations, the minister assured that the government is working to create an atmosphere in which citizens can participate in voting peacefully. 

He also urged citizens to remain confident that they would be able to exercise their franchise in a fearless environment.

During his visit, the minister inspected the Office of the Chief Election Officer, the District Election Office, and the District Administration Office. 

Following the monitoring, he received information about election-related security arrangements, police mobilization, and other preparations from Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Acharya. 

Minister Khanal assured that there would be no shortage of resources for conducting the election.

“It is the shared responsibility of all to make the election a success, ensure security arrangements, and fully enforce the election code of conduct,” he said, promising that no stone would be left unturned to conduct the election in a fearless atmosphere.

He further stated that if any issues arise regarding election preparations, they will be resolved promptly if reported in time, emphasizing the need for coordination and cooperation.

Chief Election Officer Sita Sharma briefed the Finance Minister on election-focused peace and security arrangements, the implementation of the election code of conduct, and the preparations made so far.

Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae has said that stability in Nepal is important for Japan as well in ensuring regional stability as a whole. In a meeting with Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel, she said that Japan will continue to support the consolidation of democracy in Nepal and cooperate in Nepal’s development.

Prime Minister TAKAICHI also stated that stability in Nepal is important for Japan in ensuring regional stability as a whole and, from this perspective, emphasized the importance of Nepal’s general election scheduled to be held on March 5 this year being conducted in a free, fair, and inclusive manner with broad participation by the people of Nepal, reads the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

The Japanese PM noted that Japan and Nepal have built friendly relations based on a long history of people-to-people exchanges, including student and mountaineering exchanges. President Paudel welcomed the promotion of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

This week, President Ram Chandra Paudel paid an official visit to Japan. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In the meeting, the Japanese PM said that she would like to further strengthen bilateral relations on this occasion. In response, President Paudel expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome extended by Japan and stated his desire to deepen the friendly relations between the two countries, which have spanned more than 70 years, across all areas.

An election-focused training program for police personnel deployed for security of the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives has started at the Police Headquarters from Wednesday.

The training has been provided to police personnel deployed for election security as per the Integrated Security Plan for the House of Representatives members' election.

Under the first phase, a total of 4,148 personnel ranging from senior sub-inspectors to police office assistants working at the Nepal Police Headquarters, bureaus and Nepal Police Hospital Maharajgunj, are to be trained in different phases for 10 days, according to the Central Police News Room.

Similarly, election-targeted training will be conducted for police personnel deployed for election security through the election cell formed in all district police offices.

The training will cover election security, introduction, role of police in elections, security management, election security and the roles or conditions that the police should adopt in security arrangements, areas that need to be secured in election work, problems that may arise in elections, expectations of the services that various individuals will receive from the police and the responsibilities of the police in elections. 

In addition, issues to be considered while constructing polling stations, conduct to be followed by security agencies, security personnel and security-related employees under the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, election management policy on the use of social media, 2077, the Police Act, 2012 and the Police Regulations, 2071, and other election-related topics (provisions related to crimes and punishments) will feature in the training.

The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has directed producers, importers and distributors to stop the sudden and unjustified price hike seen in daily consumer goods in the market.

Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, the Department has directed all concerned to control unnecessary price hikes in the market and maintain a competitive and fair market system. 

“The major producers, importers and distributors of food grains and oil are instructed to provide their goods or services without taking unfair profits and to provide relief to consumers by addressing the unnatural price hike,” the statement reads. .

The Department said its serious attention has been drawn to the complaints received from the consumers and reports in the media regarding the unnatural price hike and shortage in supply of daily necessities including edible oil, cooking gas, staple rice, etc.

The right of consumers to receive quality goods and services in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS and the Consumer Protection Regulations, 2076 BS shall be ensured by adopting all measures as required. 

For this, joint market monitoring is being carried out to check on the producers, sellers, importers, stockpilers, and service provider firms and establishments of essential and daily consumable goods in the country.