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The government has decided to enact a law to criminalize loan sharking activities. A meeting of the council of ministers on Tuesday decided to amend the existing legal arrangements to punish those involved in such acts. The enactment of the law will pave the way to file a case and pursue legal action against loan sharks. "It has been decided to include loan sharking in the Civil Code," said a minister, adding that a process to amend the law will be started soon. According to the minister, it has been decided to send the bill committee of the cabinet to complete the process of amending the law. According to the cabinet sources, some provisions of the Civil Code Act, and Civil Criminal Procedure Code Act, among others, have to be amended to criminalize loan sharking activities. A source at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had instructed to prepare the draft law for resolving the problems of people affected due to loan sharking and that a draft has been made ready. "Preparations are underway to give approval to the Ministry concerned to register a bill against usury in the parliament as the government has already prepared the draft law to address the demands of the usury victims," said the source. The government has also formed a committee to understand the problems of the victims of loan sharking who have been protesting in Kathmandu. The protestors returned to Kathmandu six months after signing a five-point agreement with the government in September last year after which they had ended their protest. The committee headed by Rudra Devi Sharma, joint secretary at the Home Ministry has Dil Kumar Tamang, under-secretary at Home Ministry, Umakanta Adhikari, under-secretary at the PMO, and Janga Bahadur Danga, under-secretary at Law Ministry as members. Once loan sharking is regarded as a criminal offense, the government will register cases and conduct legal fights against loan sharks. Currently, loan sharking is essentially categorized as an offense under the civil code, according to which the victims themselves have to engage in a legal fight against loan sharks.  

President Ram Chandra Paudel has urged honorary consular generals and consulates from various countries to work keeping the interests of the nation at the center. During a meeting with honorary consular generals and consulates at Sheetal Niwas this morning, the President was of the view that honorary consular generals and consulates were expected to contribute to strengthening bilateral relations by promoting the interests of the nation. Dinesh Shrestha, on behalf of consuls, apprised the President that they were dedicated to strengthening socio-economic and cultural relations with the respective countries and also the promotion of Nepal's tourism. The delegation congratulated Paudel on his election to the post of President and wished him a successful term.  

CPN (Maoist Center) leader Shiva Chandra Kushwaha joined the Janamat Party on Wednesday. He joined the Janamat Party by organizing a press conference in the Capital this afternoon. Kushwaha said that he joined the Janamat Party after he was ignored by the CPN (Maoist Center). He had filed nomination from the CPN (Maoist Center) in Bara 2 in the election to the House of Representatives held in November last year. He was defeated by a margin of 354 votes with Janata Samajbadi Party candidate Ram Sahaya Yadav. The by-election will held on April 23 in the vacant post after Yadav was elected as the Vice-President. After joining the Janamat Party, Kushwaha said that he would contest the by-election from Bara-2. Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav is preparing to contest the by-election in that region from the ruling alliance.    

Five security personnel were injured in a clash with protesters in Biratnagar on Tuesday. Province Police Office, Biratnagar said that three Nepal Police personnel and two Armed Police personnel were injured in the clash. The details of the injured police personnel have not been received yet. Police said that preparations are being made to take them to the hospital. It is not clear how many protesters were injured in the clash. The clash broke out after the security personnel tried to contain the demonstration organized to protest the naming of Koshi Province in Biratnagar. The situation became tense after the protesters pelted stones at the security personnel. Police lobbed 31 rounds of teargas canisters to take the situation under control. A source said that police also fired 15 rounds of bullets into the air. The protesters had staged a demonstration near Panchali of Biratnagar demanding that the government roll back its decision to name Province 1 as Koshi Province. Following the incident, a large number of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel have been deployed in the area. DSP Rajan Kumar Dahal, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Morang, said that the situation is under control. The provincial government on March 1 had named the province as Koshi. Padam Limbu Lajehang was critically injured when police baton-charged the people protesting against the naming of the province. He breathed his last during the course of treatment.