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The Chinese government is to give 21 drones to the Nepal Police.

A Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday decided to accept 21 drones provided by the Chinese government.

The Public Security Department of Tibet has decided to provide 21 drones to the Home Ministry.

Chinese ambassador Chen Song on May 8 had informed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha the Chinese government had decided to provide the drones to Nepal.

The Chinese government had decided to provide drones to Nepal government to monitor the border area.

The Home Ministry is preparing to give the drones to the security agency.

The main opposition party CPN-UML obstructed the House proceedings today as well.

As soon as the meeting began, the UML lawmakers stood from their respective seats as a gesture of protest.

All the agenda of the meeting has been removed following the obstruction.

UML lawmaker Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri demanded that the government form a high-level probe committee to investigate the gold smuggling case.

The ruling party lawmakers too stood from their respective seats when Chhetri was expressing his views. 

Speaker Devraj Ghimire requested the lawmakers to take their seats.

The UML lawmakers picketed the rostrum and started sloganeering after the ruling parties' MPs stood from their seats.

The CPN-UML has been demanding the formation of a probe committee to investigate the smuggling in of 100 kgs gold that had passed undetected through Tribhuvan International Airport on July 18.

In the meeting, Speaker Ghimire had urged the UML lawmakers to cooperate in the operation of the House business as discussions are on from various angles on the topic related to the gold smuggling scam and the Home Minister has already briefed the House about this matter.

"Parliament is the forum for raising people's voices. There are several issues like incidents of floods and landslides, among other topics, to be raised in Parliament at present," the Speaker reminded the lawmakers.

Today's meeting of the House has been postponed after the UML lawmakers continued the obstruction and sloganeering despite the Speaker's requests to allow the House to carry out its business.

The next meeting of the House of Representatives has been scheduled for 1 pm on Friday.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba held a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday after ruling Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav warned of quitting the government.

Yadav, who was miffed with the government after the Home Ministry signed a five-point agreement with Gaur massacre victims, met Nepali Congress President Deuba on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman expressed his dissatisfaction with the Congress President Deuba over the agreement signed with Gaur massacre victims.

According to a source, Yadav had even warned Deuba that they would leave the government.

Saying he would hold a discussion with the Prime Minister on the issue, Deuba, in response, urged Yadav not to take unpleasant decision like quitting the government.

Leader Yadav even told Congress President Deuba that he was not satisfied with the working style of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

After the meeting with Yadav, Congress President Deuba, Defense Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka, Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak and Krishna Sitaula among other leaders had reached Baluwatar to meet Prime Minister Dahal.

They discussed issues like ending House deadlock and Gaur massacre.

On March 21, 2007, cadres of the then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and Maoist had a clash in Gaur-based Rice Mill.

As many as 27 persons had lost their lives in the incident.

The families of those who died and injured in the incident had been staging demonstrations putting forth various demands.

On Tuesday, the government and the representatives of the Gaur massacre victims signed a five-point agreement at the Home Ministry.

Struggle Committee Chairman Rup Sagar Devi and Home Ministry spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai had signed the agreement.

According to the agreement, complaints pertaining to the incident filed with the police will be investigated and the guilty will be brought to book.

The main opposition CPN-UML upped its ante against the government on Tuesday, warning that it will not let the House function unless the government forms a high-level parliamentary committee to investigate the incident of a 100-kg gold consignment passing undetected through the high-security Tribhuvan International Airport on July 20. The illegal consignment, concealed in brake shoes of motorcycles and scooters, was intercepted and seized outside the airport at Sinamangal.      

Yogesh Bhattarai, a lawmaker from the CPN-UML, pointed out that government authorities like the customs, TIA management, immigration and law enforcement were caught napping on that fateful day.

He said, “This incident calls for questioning the Home Minister and the Finance Minister. Who will grill them if not a high-level committee?”

Bhattarai reasoned that the facts will not come to light unless a high-level parliamentary panel investigates the security breach, implying that subordinate agencies will find it hard to bring the ministers under the purview of a probe. 

The day saw another opposition party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, also calling for a high-level probe into the case.  

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair and lawmaker Rajendra Lingden claimed that the government itself did not want the House to function, even as it continued to blame the opposition for stalling the proceedings. “Police and CIAA investigations have also been incomplete. The government should relent to the demand for a high-level committee.”

Lingden suspected that fear of its collapse may have prevented the government from constituting a high-level probe panel. He accused the three major parties of holding the country hostage through shady deals. 

“These parties are striving to form an unconstitutional power center through secretive talks.”  

Lingden urged Speaker Devraj Ghimire to clarify on the unparliamentary practice of the three parties making decisions and imposing them on other parties as this practice was going on under his watch. 

Lawmaker and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane also stood in favor of forming a high-level parliamentary probe panel for a credible investigation into the 100-kg gold case. 

House adjourned  

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha tried to allay, in particular, the main opposition’s concerns while responding to questions raised in the House regarding the 100-kg illegal gold case. Shrestha asked the opposition to give the investigating agency, CIB, 35 days, stressing the need to have faith in the state’s agencies. He pointed out that transnational criminals were turning the country into a transit for gold smuggling, thereby deeply impacting the national security and the economy. 

However, the CPN-UML was far from impressed. It stated that the Home Minister had failed to answer most of its questions. As the obstruction continued, Speaker Ghimire adjourned the meeting till 1 pm, Wednesday.