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The government of Nepal on Monday thanked the Indian government for its continued support for the development of infrastructure in the country.

Nepal thanked India during the second Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) meeting on the construction of Nepal Bharat Maitri Polytechnic (NBMP) held in Hetaunda of Makwanpur district.

According to a statement, the meeting was co-chaired by Satish Sivan, Joint Secretary (DPA-III Division), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and Kamal Prasad Pokhrel, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal.

The meeting reviewed overall implementation and progress of the project and directed the contractor and the consultant of the project for timely completion.

Noting that the COVID pandemic had posed a major challenge to the project’s progress, both sides said that it has now come out of those challenges and is in the final stages of completion.

During the meeting, the Indian side expressed its happiness at the fruitful cooperation with the government of Nepal and the joint efforts made towards strengthening the education infrastructure in Nepal. 

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said that the government is committed to hold local level elections in a free, fair and fearless environment.

Speaking at a program organized in Nuwakot on Monday, he said, "The country is preparing for the local level elections. The government is committed to hold the upcoming elections in a free, fair and fearless environment and all the concerned stakeholders should be committed to the same."

Saying that rumors are being spread about the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), he said that those who are spreading rumors are involved in the decision making process of the MCC.

The Prime Minister said that CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal is one of the persons who has been protesting against MCC the most. He further said that Rawal should be ashamed to say so.

"UML Chairman and the then Prime Minister KP Oli has tabled the MCC in the Parliament saying that the compact should be ratified. Now, I have said that the MCC should be endorsed from the Parliament," he said.

"Bhim Rawal is one of the persons who has been protesting against MCC the most. He was the Defence Minister when the Cabinet endorsed the MCC. What was Bhim Rawan looking at then? Why is he protesting againt the MCC now," he questioned.

The spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington responded to media reports on Sunday that Moscow had asked Beijing for military equipment since launching its invasion of Ukraine by saying, "I've never heard of that."

The spokesperson, Liu Pengyu, said China's priority was to prevent the tense situation in Ukraine from getting out of control, Reuters reported.

"The current situation in Ukraine is indeed disconcerting," he said in an emailed response to a query from Reuters.

"The high priority now is to prevent the tense situation from escalating or even getting out of control."

Earlier the Financial Times and Washington Post cited U.S. officials as saying that Russia has asked China for military equipment since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation."

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has also directed his party leaders not to speak against the alliance. That is why there is no problem in the alliance now, he said.

Speaking to journalists at the Dhangadi Airport on Monday, Chairman Dahal said, "Our first priority is to win the elections on our own strength. But, if there is a possibility of forging an electoral alliance then the coalition will be given the priority."

Hinting at the faction led by Shekhar Koirala of Nepali Congress, he claimed that the top-notch leaders of the coalition are for forging an electoral alliance though there are differing views within the party.

Chairman Dahal further said that preparations are underway to incorporate Nepali Congress in the Sudurpaschim Province.