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CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Nepal expressed his commitment that he would help in the investigation of Lalita Niwas land grab case.

Speaking to journalists upon landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday, the former prime minister said that the Lalita Niwas land grab case should be investigated and vowed to help in the investigation.

“Let there be an investigation in the Lalita Niwas land grab case. I will help in the inquest,” he said.

Leader Nepal claimed that he has no involvement in the Lalita Niwas land grab case.

He said that the Supreme Court had issued an order to proceed with the investigation process of Lalita Niwas scam a day before he left for Europe.

Nepal said it was just a coincidence that the apex court issued the order a day before he left for Europe.

Saying that various decisions pertaining to the land were made when he was the prime minister, the CPN (US) claimed that he had not committed corruption.

“The Supreme Court had issued an order to proceed with the investigation of Lalita Niwas scam. My Europe’s visit was also fixed at the same time. Various decisions pertaining to the land were made when I was the prime minister. Some tried to defame me by linking my name to this issue,” he said, adding, “It was also said that Madav Nepal fled the country. I did not flee when the then king ordered to arrest me. Why should I flee the country if I had not committed any crime. Instead, I shortened the visit.”

Vice-President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav is leaving on a six-day visit to China on Monday afternoon.

The Vice-President is set to attend the 7th China South Asia Exposition and 27th China Kunming Import and Export Fair, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

Yadav will lead a Nepali delegation to the event to be held in Kunming on August 16-20.  He is scheduled to address the official opening of the 7th China-South Asia Expo on August 16.

The Vice-President will board the China Eastern Airlines regular flight to Kunming from Tribhuvan International Airport at 4:25 pm, said the MoFA.

Vice-President Yadav will be accompanied by his spouse Champadevi Yadav, Secretary at the Office of Vice President Madhusudan Burlakoti, his personal secretary Satrudhan Yadav, personal doctor Bikram Silwal and two security personnel, it is said.

He will return home on August 21.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that he was serious in addressing several demands of contractors.

The Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Finance and other line ministries to promptly address the demands, including payment of completed works and Value Added Tax on mutual coordination, informed Spokesperson of the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Narayan Prasad Bhatta.

In order to resolve the problem, a six-member taskforce has been formed under the coordination of Public Procurement Monitoring Office Secretary Dr Damodar Regmi with joint-secretaries of line ministries as members.

The committee is mandated to submit the report within 15 days after conducting necessary consultations and coordination with different stakeholders.

The taskforce comprises representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development among others.

The contractors have been staging demonstrations since June 30 demanding that the government make payments for their completed works.

Janamat Party lawmaker Anita Devi Sah took the oath of office and secrecy on Monday.

President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to lawmaker Sah amidst a program held in Sheetal Niwas this morning.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had recommended Sah as the Minister for General Administration by removing General Administration Minister Aman Lal Modi.

Sah was elected as the lawmaker under the PR category.

Before being elected as the lawmaker, she had lost the election to the post of deputy mayor of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City in the local level election.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the working style of Modi and to rope in Janamat Party in the government, an office-bearers meeting of the CPN (Maoist Center) had decided to recall him.

Along with President Paudel, Vice-President Ram Sahay Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina were present in the swearing-in ceremony.

Earlier, Janamat Party’s Abdul Khan had got the responsibility of the Ministry of Drinking Water.

The party, however, quit the government expressing dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Dahal.