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The meeting of the transitional justice mechanism held on Monday ended inconclusively.  

The meeting held at the Ministry of Home Affairs at Singha Durbar this morning in participation of the stakeholders including the members of the mechanism ended without making a concrete decision.

Nepali Congress leader and Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak, CPN-UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula and CPN (Maoist Center) Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma attended the meeting aimed at finalizing the issue of the transitional justice bill.

UML Chief Whip Bartaula said that today's meeting ended with the decision to meet again on Thursday.

"The main Act, bills and reports of sub-committees on transitional justice related issues will be studied and reviewed. The questions raised on them will be collected and the next meeting will be held Thursday with full preparations," he pledged.

He said that the mechanism will also prepare the draft of all discussions held so far on the matter and focus on them in upcoming meetings, he said.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya, President of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee Bimala Subedi and Attorney General Ramesh Badal among others were present in the meeting.

Earlier on Friday, a meeting of the mechanism held at the Ministry of Home Affairs had discussed the issue of building consensus on the transitional justice bill.

Former Minister Govinda Raj Joshi was convicted of corruption by the Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday.

SC Justices Binod Sharma and Bala Krishna Dhakal announced the verdict convicting Joshi on corruption charges, SC's Assistant Spokesperson Govinda Prasad Ghimire said.

According to Ghimire, the SC has slapped Joshi with nine months in jail and a fine of Rs 6.9 million.

Earlier, the Special Court had convicted Joshi and fined Rs 21.61 million stating that he amassed the property illegally.

Following the Special Court's verdict, Joshi had lodged a petition at the Supreme Court some 11 years ago.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has pointed out the need for coordination among federation, province and local level in the improvement of prisons and child correction homes.

In today's meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee under the House of Representatives, Home Minister Lekhak said, "There is a high number of prisoners in jails across the country. The jails lack physical infrastructures."

He laid emphasis on the need of constructing physical infrastructures, adding there is also lack of space and physical infrastructures in child correction homes.

"There are nine child correction homes in eight districts. Condition of all correction homes should be improved ", explained the Home Minister.

Home Minister Lekhak said the government would pay attention to the issue of daily allowance of the prisoners, assuring that the government would address the problems related to health and hygiene they are facing.

The government was serious about skill development and income generation of prisoners, stressed the Home Minister, pointing out the need of developing prisons as skill development centers.

He laid emphasis on the need for arrangements of health insurance and skill as well as counseling programs.

The government, however, would move ahead as per the recent directives of the Supreme Court regarding imprisonment exemption, asserted Home Minister Lekhak. 

The Home Minister further said the government would pay attention to lessen and control rape and crime related to drugs.  He expressed commitment that the government would be accountable and responsible towards Parliament and Parliamentary committees, adding the government would take the directives of committees seriously as well as implement them.

In the meeting of the committee, Home Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal said that 10 of the 72 prisons in the country are currently being upgraded. "Capacity development of prisoners and library work is being done."Prisoners learn skills until they stay in prison," said Home Secretary Aryal, "Even after release from prison, they can get jobs accordingly."

He informed that the work of ensuring the prisoners' health has been advanced. In the event, three sub-committees formed by the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee to monitor juvenile correctional facilities and prisons across the country submitted a report to the Home Minister.

The report mentions the overall condition of children's correctional homes, prisons, the challenges faced there and the work to be done and improvements. The MPs participating in the meeting suggested that the children's correctional home should be organized as soon as possible.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ajay Kumar Chaurasia and Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Navalkishore Shah Sudi were also present in the committee meeting today.

In the meeting, Law Minister Chaurasia said that he will take initiatives to implement all laws related to human rights made according to the constitution. Similarly, Minister Sudi opined to manage separate place to children in prisons. 

Suspended General Secretary and spokesperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party Mukul Dhakal has filed an application at the Election Commission arguing that the action taken against him by the party was illegal.

Earlier on June 25, the party’s Central Committee meeting had decided to expel Dhakal from all official posts for going against the party’s policy and interest.

Saying that the action taken against him was illegal, he filed an application at the election body on Sunday. The party had given him 35 days to respond.

Dhakal claimed that the party has also not yet informed him about his dismissal.

He said that the action was against the political rights envisioned by the Constitution.

In addition to that, Dhakal urged the Election Commission to not entertain the letter if received from the RSP to update the decision.

"The action taken against me by the party is unlawful in accordance with Article 269 (4) and the Section 18(2) of the Act Related to Political Parties, 2073. I have filed a petition urging the Commission not to endorse or update the party's decisions in which my signature is missing cit