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A province-level security workshop has successfully concluded, focusing on essential security strategies to ensure the upcoming House of Representatives elections are conducted in a fair and fear-free manner. 

The workshop, which commenced in Rupandehi, Lumbini Province on November 25, wrapped up on Tuesday in Janakpur, Madhesh Province. 

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs of the federal government and the provincial government, this annual workshop has been a staple for years. This year's discussions reportedly placed a greater emphasis on internal security and election-specific safety measures. 

During the Madhes Province-level security workshop in Janakpur, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal affirmed that the current government is committed to holding the House of Representatives elections on the scheduled date.

As per the Home Minister's Secretariat, he has directed all four security agencies to ensure the elections are conducted in a clean, fair, and fear-free environment. 

The government has rolled out the Integrated Security Plan-2082 to guarantee that the House of Representatives elections, set for March 5, are executed in a clean, fair, and fear-free manner. 

In addition, the Election Police Recruitment, Selection, Appointment, and Deployment Procedures, 2082, have been approved and are currently being implemented. Consequently, the Nepal Police is advancing with the selection of 133,980 election police personnel. 

For this election, approximately 88,000 personnel from the Nepali Army, 77,000 from the Nepal Police, and around 34,000 from the Armed Police will be deployed. The Nepal Police have categorized 2,845 polling stations as general, 4,442 as sensitive, and 3,680 as highly sensitive, and have established security measures accordingly.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has conveyed his belief that festivals such as Maghe Sankranti enhance feelings of brotherhood, mutual harmony, and tolerance among all Nepalis. 

On the occasion of Maghe Sankranti and the Maghi Festival, 2082 BS, he offered his best wishes for happiness, peace, and prosperity to all Nepali brothers and sisters, both within the country and abroad. President Paudel remarked, "I believe that festivals like Maghe Sankranti not only aid in fostering ethnic harmony, respect for diversity, and national unity in Nepal's multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multicultural society but also nurture feelings of brotherhood, mutual harmony, and tolerance among all Nepalese." 

The Maghe Sankranti or Makar Sankranti festival is celebrated joyfully by various communities in Nepal, each in their unique manner. 

Notably, the Tharu community observes the Maghi festival as their New Year. Families traditionally enjoy the festival by indulging in delicacies such as ghee, chaku, tarul, laddus, sel roti, dhikri, and khichdi. 

President Paudel also highlighted that it is customary for people to take a holy bath in sacred rivers and confluences like Barahkshetra, Devghat, and Ridi Kshetra, and to worship at temples on this day. 

He emphasized that such festivals, as unique intangible cultural heritage, play a significant role in showcasing our country to the world. 

In his message of best wishes, he expressed, “I hope that Maghe Sankranti and the Maghi festival motivate all of us to preserve our culture and create a civilized, cultured, and egalitarian society.”

Similarly, while extending the best wishes on the occasion, Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav has emphasized the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. 

He has highlighted that all citizens and relevant stakeholders must be conscious about the conservation and sustainable use of resources. 

Vice President Yadav stated, “In Nepal, the day of the Maghi festival is also observed as National Agricultural Biodiversity Day. 

All three levels of government have been given the responsibility for conservation, and since Nepal is a signatory to international treaties, the importance of biodiversity conservation has increased even more.

The Special General Convention of the Nepali Congress has elected Pradeep Paudel and Gururaj Ghimire as party General Secretaries.

The general convention representatives unanimously elected Paudel and Ghimire as the party general secretaries.

Similarly, Gagan Kumar Thapa has been unanimously elected as the President and Bishwo Prakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal as the Vice Presidents.

The Special General Convention of the Nepali Congress on Wednesday elected Bishwo Prakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal as the party Vice Presidents.

The general convention representatives unanimously elected Sharma and Bhusal as Vice Presidents.

Similarly, Gagan Kumar Thapa has been elected as the party President.