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A meeting of chief ministers from all seven provinces is taking place in Pokhara today. The Gandaki Province government is convening the meeting, which is a part of deepening intergovernmental relations to strengthen Nepal's federalism. Spokesperson of the Gandaki Province government Sarswati Aryal said that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is scheduled to inaugurate the meeting this afternoon. During the meeting, the chief ministers are expected to hold discussions on issues of rights given to the province government and experiences on intergovernmental relations among others.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina held a meeting at the former’s official residence in Baluwatar on Thursday. During the meeting, NA Chair Timilsina briefed the Prime Minister about his recent China visit and conversations held over there, NA Chair's secretariat said.  

President Ram Chandra Paudel has been discharged from the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center. He was admitted to the Centre on June 17 and has returned to his official residence this afternoon after being discharged following various tests and treatment. His health condition is reported to be normal, according to the Office of the President. Meanwhile, President Paudel has thanked the doctors and other health workers involved in his treatment as well as all those who expressed concern over his health and wished him good health and speedy recovery.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed the budget presented by the government for the next fiscal year 2023/24 by a majority. Earlier on May 30, Finance Minister Prakash Saran Mahat had unveiled a budget of Rs 1.75 trillion for the next fiscal year 2023/24 beginning mid-July. Minister Mahat this afternoon presented a budget proposal for the endorsement in the Parliament meeting. The proposal was endorsed by a majority in the Parliament today. CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janamat Party voted against the budget. They did not cast their votes saying that the budget was not balanced. Before presenting the budget, CPN-UML and Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmakers obstructed the Parliament meeting. They obstructed the meeting demanding that the district election offices be included as a part of the Appropriation Bill. Later, Speaker Devraj Ghimire postponed the meeting for 15 minutes to find consensus on the issue. In the meeting held for the second time, Speaker Ghimire announced that the finance minister’s proposal to endorse the budget was passed by a majority. Soon after, UML whip Mahesh Bartaula demanded a division of the budget saying that the proposal to not pass the budget was excessive. Later, the Speaker proceeded ahead with the process. Speaker Ghimire had given three minutes to correct the vote. But none of the lawmakers corrected their vote. Then the Speaker announced that the 147 lawmakers voted in favor of the budget and 108 against it. Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center) had issued a whip to endorse the budget. Before the budget was presented in the Parliament, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal answered the questions raised on the various titles of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the Secretariat of the National Planning Commission, the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President under the Appropriation Bill, 2080 during the discussion. The lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties had been saying that they would not allow the budget to be endorsed without amendment. The CPN (Unified Socialist) and the Janata Samajbadi Party, which had been saying that they would not vote until the budget is endorsed, cast their votes after discussions with the prime minister and finance minister. Now, the National Assembly should endorse the budget passed by the House of Representatives.