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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, assured that security agencies would remain independent of any political influence, power centers, or money game while discharging their duty.

In a meeting held today with former senior officials of security agencies to discuss the ‘strengthening of peace and security,’ the Minister said that the Ministry and its subordinate bodies would strictly adhere to the Constitution, laws, and their designated responsibilities.

“We are devising comprehensive plans to enhance the overall performance of the Home Ministry and its subordinate bodies,” he stated. Furthermore, he said the Ministry has asked the Nepal Police and an investigation unit for ensuring impartial, independent, and efficient investigations into any incident. He said, “Police investigations are guided by laws, facts and evidence.”

He revealed that during the course of investigating cases of corruption and crime, complaints from respective areas are received.

When someone involved in irregularities in the political, administrative, or business sectors is on the verge of being brought under the purview of the law, there may be protests from people within their respective sectors, according to the Minister, who questioned, “Is it possible to promote the rule of law in such a situation and is the law applied only to the general public?”

“The culture of groupism has deeply affected the Nepal Police institution,” he said, adding that the government was actively working to intervene and eradicate such detrimental practices from the organization.

He hoped that security bodies would find a pace if intervention from the political leadership, power centers, the economic influence is prevented by promoting the rule of law.

As he said, he had proposed to the Parliament to remove the provision for 30-year service in the police administration, he said the provision will be discontinued by law. The Inspector General of Police is highly positive about the proposal, he said, adding that he was told that the IGP was ready to sacrifice for the removal of the provision.

Expressing his determination to implement the provision of voluntary retirement of police Constable and Head Constable completing 16 years of service and Assistant Sub-Inspector and Sub-Inspector completing 18 years of service, getting the pension in 20 years, the DPM and Home Minister said the matter is being discussed with the Ministry of Finance.

As he said, the Home Ministry is taking the initiative as to how the morale of police constables, head constables, and sub-inspectors could be boosted and how they can be made to work.

“The police have to work 24 hours; how can we work with a ‘depressed force’? Discussion is on with the Public Service Commission to make the promotion of the police constables and the junior officers regular,” he asserted.

Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal’s former Inspectors General and Additional Inspectors General lauded the steps initiated by the present government in controlling corruption and the promotion of good governance.

On the occasion, they had given suggestions for policy and structural reforms, timely increment in the pay and facilities, paying attention to the career development of police personnel, making the transfer, promotions, and foreign training predictable, dissuading impunity, and bringing the National Investigation Department under the Home Ministry.

Home Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai, Inspector General of Nepal Police Basana Kunwar, APF Nepal’s Inspector General Raju Aryal, high-level officials of the Ministry, police former chiefs, and police former high officers were present in the interaction.

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Saran Mahat has left for India on Sunday.

He left for the southern neighbor this morning to take part in the Third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBGs) meeting.

Along with the finance minister, Shreekrishna Nepal Chief at the International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division of the Finance Ministry and minister’s personal secretary Yuvaraj Pandey have also left for India.

The meeting will start at the Gujarat-based Gandhinagar of India from Monday.

Finance Minister Mahat will return home on Wednesday.

Though Nepal is not a member of G20, Finance Minister Mahat will participate in the meeting as a guest member.

World economy and world health, sustainable finance and infrastructure development, global financial scenario, international tax system and financial inclusion are among the major agenda of discussions in the meeting.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Governor of Reserve Bank of India Dr Shakti Kanta Das will jointly chair the meeting.

Kathmandu: US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has returned from Kathmandu after understanding the progress made in implementing the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project in Nepal. The MCC is scheduled to be implemented starting from August next year. 

During his one-day visit on Friday, Lu met with various Nepali officials, including Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Foreign Minister NP Saud, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli. Lu expressed interest in Nepal’s level of readiness for the MCC implementation. 

Upon his arrival in Nepal, Lu’s initial meeting was with Deuba, who was the Prime Minister when the MCC was approved by Parliament. According to the Deuba Secretariat, Lu inquired about Nepal’s preparation for the implementation of the MCC. In response, Deuba reassured that there would be no obstacles in implementing the matter that had already been passed by the House. 

After meeting Deuba, Lu also held discussions with Foreign Minister Saud. A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned that Minister Saud assured Lu that Nepal is fully prepared and there would be no issues with the MCC implementation. 

Quoting Lu’s statement, a source from Baluwatar said that Lu appreciated Nepal’s preparations and assured that the MCC is in Nepal’s best interest. In response, the Prime Minister stated, “Nepal is ready to implement the MCC.”

Biratnagar: Gagan Thapa, the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, said that the leader of the parliamentary party will change once he reaches the required number of Members of Parliament (MPs). During a conversation with reporters in Biratnagar on Saturday, Thapa expressed his intention to move forward by changing the leader of the parliamentary party.

Thapa highlighted that the Constitution of the Congress Parliamentary Party includes a provision for changing the party leader. He stated, “Our party’s parliamentary party constitution allows for a change in leadership. In the past, we have witnessed instances where the leader of the parliamentary party was changed.” Thapa further explained, “I contested the leadership position with the belief that I should be the leader of the parliamentary party. Even now, I am capable of effectively managing the parliamentary party, based on the country’s needs. However, my previous attempt was unsuccessful due to lack of support from my colleagues. I will make another attempt when I feel that the support of my colleagues will give meaning to my efforts.”

Thapa also pointed out that Sher Bahadur Deuba, the current party leader, became the parliamentary leader during Girija Prasad Koirala’s leadership, as he garnered votes. Presently, Sher Bahadur Deuba serves as the leader of the Congress parliamentary party, having secured 64 votes in the parliamentary party election. In contrast, Thapa, who competed against Deuba, had received only 25 votes