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The government and the victims of microfinance institutions have signed a six-point agreement on Friday.

Government’s talks team coordinator Narayan Prasad Risal and central chairman Punaram Gyawali from the agitating side signed the agreement.

Following the agreement, the protest programs have been postponed.

It has been agreed that the microfinance institutions can charge the interest rate and service fee from the borrowers as per the Nepal Rastra Bank’s directives.

Earlier, the Finance Ministry had formed a committee under the headship of Joint Secretary Narayan Prasad Risal to hold talks with the microfinance victims.

Finance Minister Barsaman Pun has directed the Finance Committee of the Legislature-Parliament to hold talks with the victims and submit a report with ways to address their demands.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said he is doing his best to expedite works of the Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project.

Receiving a memorandum from a delegation comprising people's representatives from the Gorkha and Dhading districts today at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister said, "The matter will be discussed in a meeting of the Council of Ministers scheduled for today itself," pledging to prioritize the implementation of the Project.

The Budhigandaki Project with a capacity of generating 1200 mw of electricity is yet to be implemented in absence of the preparation of its investment model, though it has been decided to implement it through domestic investment.

The delegation comprises chairperson of Gandaki Rural Municipality in Gorkha, Deepak Timilsina; Chairperson of Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality, Ramesh Babu Thapa Magar; Chair of Bhimsen Rural Municipality, Lok Prasad Banjara; Chair of Arughat Rural Municipality, Raju Gurung; Mayor of Palungtar Municipality, Bibash Chintan; Chair of Tripurasundari Rural Municipality in Dhading, Raju Upreti; and Chair of Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality, Yamanath Danai.

During the meeting, the delegation urged the Prime Minister to promptly ensure the economic sources for the Project and its implementation. 

The local representatives apprised the Prime Minister that the absence of the project implementation has caused more problems for the people of the affected areas.

On Thursday, Budhigandaki Hydroelectricity Company Board of Directors presented drafts of two proposed models to implement the project to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

According to Company Chief Executive Officer, Jagat Shrestha, the Board of Directors meeting on Thursday endorsed the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and other two alternative models for the Project.

The Ministry is preparing to take a necessary decision on the proposed draft and send it to the Ministry of Finance seeking an approval. 

The total construction cost of the project (when the interest of the construction period is also added) will be equivalent to Rs 317 billion and 670 million as the first option while it will be equivalent to Rs 313 billion and 930 million as the second alternative. The total construction cost is estimated to be Rs 310 billion and 470 million as the third option.

It is said that out of this cost, the total loan would be equivalent to Rs 254 billion and 270 million.

Nepali Congress has demanded resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Speaking at the Parliament meeting today, lawmaker Pradeep Paudel said that Lamichhane should resign on moral grounds as questions have been raised against him.

“He should not have been the Home Minister with questions on him. The Prime Minister should not have appointed a person with questions as the Home Minister. People have been cheated in 31, 000 cooperatives. How can the victims’ problems be solved when the person under investigation is appointed as the head of the investigation department,” he questioned.

Saying that the Congress has been constantly raising questions in the Parliament, he alleged that the Prime Minister has been ignoring to answer them.

“Instead of facing the questions raised by the Congress for the past few days, he has been running away from them. The Prime Minister's double standard has been seen on this issue,” he said.

Leader Paudel said that the Congress will keep on raising questions until the Prime Minister gives satisfactory answers on the questions raised against the Home Minister.

Home Minister Lamichhane is accused of misappropriating the deposits of a cooperative.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane submitted a report of the probe commission on gold smuggling to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday.

Lamichhane reached Baluwatar this morning to submit the report to Prime Minister Dahal.

Probe commission Chairman Dilliram Acharya had submitted the report to Home Minister Lamichhane on Thursday.

Receiving the report, Home Minister Lamichhane said that stern action will be taken against those found guilty in the gold smuggling case.

The government in September had formed a probe commission to investigate the 60 kg gold smuggled from Hong Kong and the gold brought from Dubai by hiding in the electric cigarette ‘vape’.

The commission investigated the cases for almost five months.

Acharya said that a report of 485 pages has been prepared in 13 chapters.

The commission conducted field inspections of seven different customs checkpoints including Tribhuvan International Airport and Rasuwagadhi.

In the report, the commission has proposed the government to amend the existing laws to curb the gold smuggling and recommended various ways to improve the weaknesses seen in the investigation and prosecution of gold smuggling cases in the past.