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The Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal has split on Sunday.

After the split of Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal led by Upendra Yadav, a new party has been formed under the chairmanship of Ashok Rai, leader Pradeep Yadav told Annapurna Post, sister publication of the Annapurna Express.

JSP Chairman Yadav is currently on a US visit.

Nine lawmakers stood in favor of Rai.

According to Yadav, nine lawmakers representing in the federal Parliament filed an application at the Election Committee for the registration of a new party.

“I and Rai along with Renu Yadav, Nawal Kishor Sah Sudhi, Birendra Mahato, Ranju Kumari, Hasina Khan and Sushila Shrestha among nine lawmakers filed at the Election Committee for the registration of a new party,” Yadav said.

He said that the new party’s name has been proposed as Janata Samaj Party.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa called on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and mutual interests, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed.

The Japanese foreign minister arrived in Kathmandu on a one-day visit this afternoon at the cordial invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

Prior to meeting the Prime Minister, she observed the Basantapur area of Kathmandu.

She spent about half-an hour there, seeing around Kalbhairab, Hanumandhoka and the Nepali cultural heritages and artifacts. She also bought a Buddha statue.

This is Kamikawa's first visit to Nepal after her appointment as Japan's Foreign Affairs Minister.

She will pay a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel today itself, the Foreign Ministry said.  

The Japanese foreign minister is scheduled to meet the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shrestha today itself. Minister Shrestha will host a dinner in her honor.

Foreign Minister Kamikawa will leave for Japan tonight via Nepal Airlines plane.

Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Rastriya Swatantra Party President and Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane held an intensive discussion on Saturday.

During the meeting that lasted around three hours, the three leaders discussed contemporary political issues and budget sessions, a Baluwatar source said.

President Ram Chandra Paudel on the recommendation of the government has called the meeting of both the houses of federal Parliament on Friday afternoon.

Earlier, the government had prorogued the winter session to prepare the budget.

Actually, the government had prorogued the Parliament session after the main opposition Nepali Congress obstructed the House proceedings demanding formation of a parliamentary probe committee to investigate fraud charges against Home Minister Lamichhane.

The Congress has said that it would not give up its stance of forming a parliamentary probe committee to investigate cooperative fraud charges against Minister Lamichhane.

The three leaders also discussed this issue in the meeting held last night.

As the cooperative fraud case is becoming complex day by day, the situation may also come to form the parliamentary probe committee as demanded by the Nepali Congress, Prime Minister Dahal said.

They have also reached a conclusion that the government should take an initiative to resolve the cooperative issues.

The government is preparing to bring a special plan to iron out the cooperative problems that have been becoming a serious problem across the country.

The leaders of the three political parties have agreed to inform the Parliament by forming a committee to investigate the irregularities in the cooperatives.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Lamichhane has also agreed to form a parliamentary probe committee to investigate the cooperative scam, the Baluwatar source said.

Earlier, Home Minister Lamichhane had held a separate meeting with UML Chairman Oli.

Later, Oli and Prime Minister Dahal had discussed the cooperative issues in Baluwatar.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the government is sensitive to the citizens' health and working accordingly.

In his address to a program organized to mark the 22nd Establishment Day of the National Academy of Health Sciences (NAMS) here today, the Prime Minister said implementation of the citizens' fundamental rights is the special priority of the government.

"It is the responsibility of the State to promote the implementation of the fundamental rights of each citizen achieved through tremendous struggle and sacrifices. The government is serious about this. Social security programs in health services is also the top priority of the government," he said.

Stating that 2,800 beds in government-run health facilities have been allotted to patients from poor, indigent communities and who are helpless, the government head said provisions are in place to provide vaccines against uterine and breast cancers at a free of cost. The effort to dedicate 10 percent of all hospital beds whether they are of government, community, or private cones to indigent and helpless people carries a significant value for the improvement of citizens' rights.

He utilized the forum to call on the NAMS to facilitate in fulfilling the State's responsibility to increase citizens' access to quality healthcare services. He also pledged full support on his behalf to establish the NAMS as an academic institute of international standards in cooperation with national and foreign academic bodies.

Prime Minister Dahal shared that he has taken initiatives to make the service delivery of Bir Hospital effectives since he assumed the post.

He further said that he has given priority to bringing all the beds and operation rooms into operation, operating the services in two shifts.  In the program, Dr. LochanKarki, Rector of NAMS, requested that NAMS should not be separated from Bir Hospital immediately until its own hospital is built. “There is a debate going on about the separation of NAMS and Bir Hospital.

If these two bodies are separated immediately, it seems that there will be problems in many matters", Rector Dr. Karki said, "All the educational programs currently running at NAMS will be closed and it may also affect the services of the hospital itself. There should be a comprehensive discussion on this.” He informed that the scope of NAMS has been further expanded. Similarly, Dr. Santosh Paudel, director of Bir Hospital, drew the attention of the Prime Minister to develop Bir Hospital as a specialized hospital for quality health services in the country.

“The area of service provided by NAMS is wide but there are challenges in Bir Hospital within NAMS. The bed has not been able to operate at full capacity. Due to the lack of budget, we have not been able to manage the service delivery further smoothly and effective", said Paudel.

According to the responsibilities of the three levels of government, if we can concentrate the responsibility of specific services, we can provide more quality services. The hospital should be developed as a referral center.”

On the occasion of its 22nd foundation day, NAMS has honored the first Vice-Chancellor Dineshnath Gangol and Dr Upendra Devkota (posthumously), Dr Raviraman Neupane, Dr Niroj Banepali and Dr Mukesh Prasad Yadav.

Dr Raviraman Neupane, Dr Niroj Banepali and Dr Mukesh Prasad Yadav, who have passed out from NAMS at different times, have also been awarded.