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The main opposition CPN-UML obstructed the National Assembly (NA) meeting today also over the Prime Minister's recent public statement in a book launching ceremony on July 3. With the obstruction, the schedule about the deliberations on the budget allocations to various ministries under the Appropriation Bill, 2080 BS have been affected. Once the meeting convened, the UML lawmakers stood from their respective seats gesturing the continuity of their concerns over the Prime Minister's recent remarks in which he said leading truck entrepreneur Sardar Pritam Singh once made efforts before India to make him (Dahal) the Prime Minister of Nepal. UML lawmaker Bhagawati Neupane said the NA obstruction would continue until the Prime Minister stepped down from the post over his remarks. Following the protest, NA Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina said the continuous interruption in the NA business would not pave the way for a solution. He urged the opposition lawmakers to put their concerns and allow the House conduct the business. It may be noted that the party has been obstructing the NA session for the past four days over the same issue. Expressing his hope that top leaders would sort out the issue through talks, he urged for cooperation of the party to run the session. The today's NA session was scheduled to hold deliberations on the budget allocations to the Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Ministry of Water Supplies, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Ministry of Home and the Ministry of Defense. Likewise, budget allocations to the National Planning Commission, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Office of the Vice President and the Office of the President were in the schedule of discussions. The NA session has been rescheduled for 11:01 am on Monday of July 10.  

Koshi Province Chief Parshuram Khapung administered the oath of office and secrecy to three newly-appointed ministers on Sunday. The Province Chief administered oath to Jeevan Acharya, Rajendra Karki and Ram Kumar Khatri at a ceremony held at the Province Chief's Office in Biratnagar. Acharya has been appointed as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning while Karki and Khatri would be assigned their ministerial portfolios later. The Province Chief's Office said that the portfolios of Kamal Prasad Jabegu and Pradip Kumar who were appointed ministers on Friday would be determined later.  

The CPN (Maoist Center) has said its serious attention has been drawn over the 'misinterpretation' of the statement about sardar Pritam Singh made by party Chair and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The CPN (Maoist Center) is concerned over the propaganda by the opposition about the Prime Minister's statement about sardar Pritam Singh, the party said in a press statement today. "It is just an attempt to fulfill the partisan interest by trying to misinterpret the statement given by the Prime Minister with a very good intention," the party said, expressing its concern over the obstruction of the Parliament, the platform for exercising and promoting democracy, over the matter. "It has already been known that Dahal and Sardar Singh have developed a mutual emotional bonding over the course of time from people's war to the peace process," party Vice Chair and Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said in the statement. On the same backdrop, it is not unusual for sardar Singh to wish to see Dahal as the Prime Minister and to promote him in his political career, according to Mahara. "It is merely an attempt to trouble the situation and catch a fish in murky waters," the party said, urging the party hierarchy and the mass to stand in favor of nationality, republic and for the cause of people.  

As many as 81 local units across the country have implemented a ‘reintegration program’ aimed at creating an environment for returnee migrant workers to invest capital and skills acquired abroad within the country. Under the program, returnee migrant workers are provided with assistance worth Rs 43,000 to start their ventures. Of this amount, Rs 8,000 is allocated for training purposes, and the remaining Rs 35,000 for their ventures. So far, 3,260 returnee migrant workers have enrolled for the program in 81 local units. According to the Employment Promotion Board (EPB), these individuals are now enterprise-oriented. The local units are required to invest at least 20 percent per person. “The EPB provides Rs 43,000 per person, while the local units have to invest at least 20 percent of that amount,” said Rajan Paudel, the information officer of the EPB. “Although the money is not sufficient to start a large-scale business, it will be enough to start entrepreneurship with coordination from the concerned local unit.” Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari said although the ministry was providing different compensations for migrant workers, this is the first program targeted at returnee migrant workers. The objective of this program is to utilize the capital, skills, technology, and experience acquired during employment by people returning from foreign employment for the development and promotion of entrepreneurship in Nepal. The cabinet endorsed the Reintegration Program Guidelines in June last year to facilitate the implementation of the program. Based on this regulation, 81 local units started the program in April this year, according to Dwarika Upreti, the executive director of the EPB. “The program was initiated with the aim of creating an environment for returnee migrant workers to invest the skills and money earned abroad in the country, so that people do not have to migrate abroad again,” Upreti added. According to Upreti, only 81 local units applied to the EPF to implement the program. While Dharan Sub-metropolitan City has enrolled 40 returnee migrant workers in the program, Phidim has 60, and Ilam and Khadananda municipalities have 40 each. Chandra Bahadur Rokaha, the past president of the Returnee Federation Nepal, believes that although this program alone is not sufficient for the reintegration of migrant workers into Nepali society, it seems to be of some help. Likewise, Uttam Adhikari, President of Returnee Migration Nepal, said the reintegration guidelines fall short of meeting the expectations of the migrant workers. “No one from the target group was on the team that drafted these guidelines,” he said. Similarly, Tej Prasad Subedi, the general secretary of All Nepal Migrant Workers Forum, said there should be no further delay in utilizing the skills acquired by Nepalis abroad to build a better nation. “We have repeatedly submitted suggestions to the government regarding the citizens who are employed abroad and those who have returned. Hopefully, the government will take action now,” he added. Returnee migrant workers, who have benefited from the program, have said that the program is very effective. “I have learned a lot about entrepreneurship from the training,” said Lal Bahadur Budha Chhetri of Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City. Chhetri returned to Nepal after spending 15 years in Qatar. Some local units, however, seem confused as this program is being implemented in Nepal for the first time.