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Lawmakers speaking in the 'Zero Hour' of the National Assembly meeting today demanded that the government ease the process for providing citizenship certificates in the name of mother.

Complaining that it was still not easy to get citizenship in the name of mother, the upper house lawmakers stressed on establishing women's rights in parental property and the family lineage.

Lawmaker Ganga Kumari Belbase called for easing the process of providing citizenship in the name of the mother.

Taraman Sunar complained that the senior citizens were facing problems accessing government services like the social security allowance due to the cumbersome provision requiring the National Identity Card for the same.

Tulasa Kumari Dahal drew attention of the government towards the senior citizens sheltering at the Janaki Old-age Home to avail of health services as the government has not provided such support to this old-age home.

Bhagawati Neupane said that although traffic lights are installed in Kathmandu, they are not functioning well. She drew the attention of the government towards the urgent need of fixing this problem.

Maya Prasad Sharma called for timely rescue of the people injured in incidents of landslides and flooding. He demanded that the government take the necessary steps for minimizing the growing human-wildlife conflict.

Sharada Devi Bhatta and Sumitra BC called for building a robust disaster preparedness and response system, drawing the government's attention to the loss of life and property with the start of the monsoon.

Lawmakers demanded that the government expedite mitigation, relief, and rescue efforts in view of the monsoon hazards.

Speaking at a Parliament meeting today, they expressed their concerns over the lives affected by incidents of landslides, floods, lightning, and inundation across the country.  

Lawmaker Ishwari Devi Neupane demanded the government to ensure relief and rescue for the affected, accelerating the efforts to mitigate potential incidents.                             

Manbir Rai and Amanlal Modi were among those lawmakers expressing their concerns over these matters.

Similarly, lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh said snapped electric cables in public have posed a grave threat to the people, demanding the attention of the bodies concerned for the management.

Saying landslides and floods have caused loss of lives and property, lawmaker Ram Hari Khatiwada informed the House that floods and landslides have caused loss of lives and property at different places of Okhaldhunga and the injured were airlifted to Kathmandu and are receiving treatment.

He drew attention of the government towards disturbance of essential services including drinking water, electricity, internet and irrigation due to disaster related incidents. 

Similarly, lawmaker Man Bahadur Gurung through the House demanded to provide relief, compensation, and easy health treatment to victims as landslides, floods have caused loss of lives and property at different places of Kaski while lawmaker Urmila Majhi informed the House that six people of Lamjung lost their lives due to monsoon related disaster.

Likewise, lawmaker Kiran Sah drew the attention of government and inline bodies for disaster management, asking the government to pay attention to risk reduction and preparedness.

Informing the House that 20 people were killed across the country due to rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday where more than 16 people were injured, lawmaker Abdul Khan demanded the government to conduct detailed investigation on the issue of rising anomalies in the education sector.

Over the past two weeks, former president Bidya Devi Bhandari has reentered the spotlight of national politics for two main reasons.

First, Bhandari attended a CPN-UML function in Kathmandu for the first time since her retirement, addressing an audience of five thousand UML women cadres. Second, media reports suggested she renewed her UML party membership, which she had relinquished after becoming president in 2015. However, neither the UML nor Bhandari has confirmed this.

Following these reports, some lawmakers questioned whether Bhandari could continue receiving state benefits if she renewed her party membership. Nonetheless, since her retirement, she has chosen to reside in her private home, declining the government's offer of official residence.

Tika Dhakal, Bhandari’s former advisor, refuted the media claims, calling them false and aimed at tarnishing her image. Dhakal emphasized that Bhandari does not need formal membership to participate in party activities and would renew her membership openly and transparently if she chose to do so—and with significant party support.

UML leaders close to Bhandari suggest her return to active politics is possible and not prohibited by the Constitution. They believe she would be a unifying figure within the party and a prominent national leader due to her clean image and widespread acceptability.

Speculations about Bhandari’s political comeback began even before her retirement. In a notable instance, during an informal gathering before her departure from Sheetal Niwas, leaders like UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked her about potential return. Bhandari, however, avoided committing to such plans, leaving the decision open.

Political circles continue to buzz about Bhandari’s intentions. Some argue she leads an informal faction within the UML against Oli, although both she and Oli have remained publicly silent on this matter. It is believed that any political move by Bhandari would aim for consensus rather than conflict with Oli.

Second-tier UML leaders, such as Bishnu Pokhrel, Ishwor Pokhrel, and Shankar Pokhrel, are vying for leadership but might support Bhandari as a unifying figure. Given her legacy and broad acceptance, party leaders see her as a strong candidate for leading the party after Oli.

Bhandari has not ruled out a return to politics. In an interview with this journalist  in November last year, she said: “I have not made a decision regarding a return to active politics at the moment.”  As for Oli’s potential successor, the former president said it was “an internal matter” of the party.

“It is premature to discuss leadership after Oli, as we still have a long way to go before the convention,” said Bhandari, suggesting the UML members to focus on strengthening the party rather than hankering for power. 

Based on Bhandari’s statements and recent actions, it appears she might re-engage in politics by the next UML convention or before the 2027 elections. UML leaders believe she supports the unification of leftist alliances, which could see Oli as prime minister, Dahal as president, and Bhandari leading the party if a coalition is formed after the 2027 elections.

Visiting Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong today paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel.

In the meeting held at the Office of the President in Shital Niwas, matters relating to Nepal-China relations and mutual interests and concerns were discussed, according to the Office of the President.

On occasion, President Paudel said China remains a major development partner of Nepal for long, acknowledging China's assistance to Nepal's development endeavors for over seven decades.

Sun has been on a three-day official visit to Nepal beginning on Monday to attend the 16th meeting of the Nepal-China Foreign Secretary Level Diplomatic Consultation Mechanism.