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The Nepali Congress is holding its Central Working Committee meeting at the party's central office, BP Smriti Bhawan, Lalitpur on Thursday.

It has been said that the meeting will focus on matters related to the party's 15th General Convention, as the term of the CWC currently led by President Sher Bahadur Deuba is ending by mid-December. Some leaders had launched a signature campaign calling for a special general convention.

It has been reported that 54 percent of the general convention delegates have signed for a special general convention.

Earlier, in the CWC meeting that began on October 14, party president Sher Bahadur Deuba had given the responsibility of acting president to vice president Purna Bahadur Khadka, citing health reasons. Since then, the working committee meeting has been held under Khadka's chairmanship.

NC President Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana Deuba are currently in Singapore for medical treatment.

President Ram Chandra Paudel is scheduled to leave for Doha, Qatar on November 3 to attend the 2nd World Summit for Social Development. 

The international event is taking place in Doha from November 4 to 6. 

President Paudel is visiting Qatar at the invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. 

The President is leading a 12-member Nepali delegation to the Summit, according to the Foreign Ministry. 

The Head of the State will return home on November 6. 

The Summit, which is being conducted as per UN General Assembly's decision, is believed to be a significant event for the UN member states. 

The Summit is taking place in a 30 years' gap.

President Paudel and the Qatari Emir are scheduled to hold a meeting during the Summit.

Earlier, the first such event was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995. 

The global conference would hold discussions on the pressing issues of the hour like unequal development, demographic imbalance and technological impact in society. 

A common resolution would be made in the event for the collaboration and cooperation on social development.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday conducted a preliminary hearing on the writ petitions filed against the formation of the present government, and dissolution of the House of Representatives (HoR). 

The bench denied an interim order as demanded by the petitioners, but sought a written response from the defendants including the Office of the President, seeking reason why the interim order could not be issued against government formation and HoR dissolution. 

A week's time has been given by the court to furnish the written responses.

Nearly one-and-half-dozen writ petitions were filed against the formation of interim government and HoR dissolution, making defendants to various sides, including the Office of the President. 

On behalf of the petitioners, senior advocates and advocates argued that the formation of government by inducting former Chief Justice Sushila Karki and former judge at Supreme Court, Anil Kumar Sinha, was against the Constitution. 

Senior advocate Tikaram Bhattarai, former Chairman of Nepal Bar Association, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, and advocate Khamma Bahadur Khati, pleaded that the government was unconstitutional and it must not take decisions having long term importance.

The constitutional bench comprising Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut, justices Sapana Pradhan Malla, Kumar Regmi, Hari Prasad Phunyal and Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma conducted the hearing on Wednesday. 

Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Kulman Ghising, who is presently in New Delhi, India, to attend the 8th General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance, held a meeting today with India’s Power Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed Nepal-India energy cooperation, power trade,  expansion of transmission lines, progress on Nepal’s under-construction power projects funded by India, and the long-term power partnership between the two countries, according to Minister Ghising’s secretariat.

Meanwhile, Nepal and India have signed a joint venture (JV) and shareholder agreement for the construction of two cross-border transmission lines. 

According to the Ministry of Energy, the agreement aims to construct 400 kV cross-border transmission lines connecting Inaruwa–Purnia and Lamki–Dodhara–Bareli.

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Deputy Executive Director Subhash Kumar Mishra and Chief Operating Officer Sanjay Kumar Gupta at Power Grid Corporation of India Limited signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides, in the presence of the two ministers. 

On the occasion, Minister Ghising described the agreement as a significant achievement for bilateral and regional power trade. 

He stated that it will help Nepal gain access to the international energy market and attract domestic and foreign investment in Nepal’s hydropower development and expansion sectors, urging India to further invest in the sector.

Minister Khattar expressed the view that once the two additional cross-border transmission lines are completed, the electricity exchange process between Nepal and India will become smoother. 

He added that it would enhance regional energy security through a stronger grid and contribute to the economic growth of both countries.

Earlier, on October 16, the Cabinet had approved granting the authority to establish two joint companies: one in Nepal and one in India for the construction of transmission lines, with investment from both NEA and Power Grid Corporation of India. 

The Cabinet also approved making equity investments in these companies.