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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be responding to questions raised by lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

Similarly, Speaker Devraj Ghimire is scheduled to present a proposal seeking consideration on the 'Ship (Operation and Management) Bill, 2081, which originated in the National Assembly.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari will table a proposal seeking general discussion on the WTO Agreement on Concessions in the Fisheries Industry.

Furthermore, three parliamentary committees—the Public Accounts Committee, the Legislative Management Committee, and the Federalism Strengthening and National Concerns Committee are holding meetings today.

The PAC will discuss 'complaints related to the construction of the Jagadulla Hydropower Project' while the Legislative Management Committee will hold clause-wise discussion on the ‘Water Resources Bill, 2081’.

The Federalism Strengthening Committee will discuss the progress status of projects of national pride under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

The ruling CPN-UML has concluded that former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, who has served as the Head of State and the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, should not return to active party politics.

The party's Central Committee meeting that concluded last night decided that it was not appropriate for someone who has already become the Head of State and the patron of the republic to rejoin active politics, Rajendra Gautam, the party's publicity department chief, said.

At a press conference organized at the party's central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur following the CC meeting, Gautam said the Central Committee has concluded that it is against the Constitution, and norms and values of the party.

The CC has also removed the age limit of 70 years as well as the two-term limit, paving the way for current Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to extend his term as the party chair.

This decision will be formalized after it is passed in the upcoming statutory convention.

According to Gautam, Vice Chairman Surendra Pandey and Yubaraj Gyawali and standing committee member Karna Bahadur Thapa had expressed their disagreement over the decision to not allow former president Bhandari to rejoin the party.

The meeting also unanimously passed the statute amendment report by Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Poudel and the organizational proposal report by General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.

The discord between CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has further escalated, with both remaining adamant in their respective positions.

Prime Minister Oli and a majority of leaders in the party’s Central Committee (CC) believe that a former head of state should not return to active party politics. However, Bhandari has shown no signs of heeding the suggestions from Oli, UML leaders, or even opposition parties. A day after Oli instructed the CC members not to act as a ‘spokesperson’ for the former president, Bhandari warned against attempts to ‘terrorize’ her supporters. Speaking to a group of journalists, she reiterated her return to UML politics and firmly stated that she would not back down.

Whether out of deference to Oli or genuine concern, most CC members have echoed the view that a former president re-entering active politics would have negative implications for the nascent republic. Only a few leaders spoke in her favor during the CC meeting, and even they refrained from explicitly endorsing her political comeback. Meanwhile, most CC leaders have rallied behind Oli’s bid to lead the party for a third consecutive term at the upcoming general convention. To facilitate this, the UML is preparing to amend its statute at the upcoming statute convention. Some party leaders have even suggested that the ongoing CC meeting should unanimously propose Oli as party chair for the next five years.

A one-on-one meeting between Oli and Bhandari on Sunday failed to narrow the rift; instead, it appears to have widened it further. Outside the UML as well, the political environment remains largely unfavorable for Bhandari’s return. The largest party, Nepali Congress, has reiterated its stance that former presidents should refrain from active politics. “We have a clear position that the former president should not engage in active politics,” said NC leader Gopal Man Shrestha.

The main opposition, CPN (Maoist Center), has not taken a clear position, partly due to its own moral quandary, as former Vice President Nanda Kishwor Pun has already joined the party, ignoring similar objections about returning to active politics. Speaking from her private residence, Bhandari made it clear that there is no turning back. Oli and Bhandari have long shared a cordial relationship. Oli played a key role in securing her presidency in 2015.

At that time, there had been intense debate within the UML over the party's presidential nominee. Senior leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal supported Jhala Nath Khanal or Astha Laxmi Shakya, but Oli stood firmly behind Bhandari. During her tenure, Bhandari and Oli maintained a close working relationship, with Bhandari often criticized for approving Oli’s decisions, including the controversial dissolution of Parliament, without any scrutiny. 

Tensions began to surface when Bhandari publicly expressed her intent to return to active politics. Initially, Oli did not oppose her. However, in her Nepali New Year message, Bhandari hinted at the need to review the party's current leadership, an indirect challenge to Oli’s position. This statement was widely interpreted as a signal that she aimed to displace Oli.

Despite the tension, the two leaders continued to meet regularly, either at Baluwatar or at Bhandari’s residence. In June, Bhandari visited China for a week, and the two met both before and after the trip. Her supporters claimed that China sees Bhandari as a future leader of the UML, potentially uniting the broader left. According to Bhandari, she had informed Oli of her intention to return to politics even while serving as president.

Relations soured further after Bhandari declared in an interview last week that she wishes to lead the party. In response, Oli reminded her that her party membership renewal is still pending. Bhandari had relinquished her UML membership after becoming president in 2015, upholding the principle that the head of state should remain impartial.

After her term ended in 2022, Bhandari submitted an application to renew her party membership. She claims to have done so six months after leaving office, and at the time, no UML leaders raised objections. However, party leaders now argue that the issue is political rather than technical. It remains unclear how the UML will resolve the matter of Bhandari’s return to active politics.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has unveiled the 'National Land Cover Map 2020/2022' at the President House, Shital Niwas on Tuesday.

The land cover map published by the Forest Research and Training Centre under the Ministry of Forests and Environment was handed to the President by the Centre's Director Dr Rajendra KC.

On the occasion, President Paudel said that the forest cover should be maintained in the field as it is on the map and paper. He emphasized the need to adopt all kinds of measures to protect the forest from deforestation and to earn from the forest.

According to the land cover map, the forest area in the country is 46.08 percent, while it is 58.62 percent in Bagmati Province.