US general Flynn terms Nepal visit terrific

Commanding General of the US Army Pacific Charles Flynn has termed his four-day visit to Nepal as terrific.

"I want to express my gratitude to Nepali Chief of Army Staff Gen. Sharma for a terrific visit to Nepal this week," he wrote on Twitter.

“We cherish our decades long defense partnership & look forward to future opportunities for collaboration,” he further said.

General Flynn, who arrived here on a four-day official visit on Thursday, held meetings with President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Deuba and General Sharma, among others, on Friday.

Arrangements made to provide budget in 171 local units for sports development

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Devendra Paudel, has said an arrangement has been made to provide budget to 171 units in the coming fiscal year for the construction of sports infrastructures.

Responding to queries raised by lawmakers over the Appropriation Bill in today's meeting of the House of Representatives, Minister Paudel shared a proposal has been presented to provide budget to 171 local units in the coming fiscal year by giving continuity to the sports infrastructures as per the government's policy of constructing one sports infrastructure in one local-level.

He further said concept of sports insurance has been developed in the coming fiscal year for the protection and development of players as well as arrangement of budget has been made to make the medical centre systematic in order to carry out treatment of injured players.

Arrangement of budget on various issues including player life insurance, player and training health insurance, player incentive award and allowance to Olympic players has been made this year to encourage players.

Minister Paudel on the behalf of the Minister for Youth and Sports, Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj, responded the queries of lawmakers on the issues related to Youth and Sports as Minister Gahatraj is in foreign trip.

On the occasion, the Education Minister opined that one school, one sports would be developed from school level for the development of sports sector.

CPN-UML to review party's performance in local elections

The ninth meeting of the CPN-UML Secretariat has concluded that the party did not get satisfactory results in the key posts in the recently held local level elections.

A secretariat meeting of the UML came up with the conclusion while deciding to focus on a new course after a thorough review on the election results.

Sharing the information about the meeting held at the Party Headquarters in Chyasal today, Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said results of the local level elections should be accepted after participating in the election since the sovereign franchise of citizens was exercised in the elections.

He shared that the meeting discussed reasons behind the poor results in the posts of mayor and chairperson, adding that a fact had been established that the CPN-UML had emerged as the largest party with 34 per cent of popular votes.

The meeting decided that the concerned committees would take action against those involved in betraying the party's candidates, the UML leader mentioned.

Leader Gyawali also stated that no party leader should engage in blame game against the party's main leadership.

The meeting also decided to organise orientation programme for the newly-elected people's representatives from the party on June 16 and 17 in Kathmandu.

Similarly, the meeting also formed some departments of the party.

 

UML seeks resignation of Finance Minister Sharma in Parliament

The main opposition CPN-UML demanded resignation of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma.

Speaking at the meeting of the House of Representatives, party Vice-Chairman and former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey demanded resignation of the Finance Minister saying that it is not morally appropriate for him to remain in the post after questions have been raised pertaining to changing tax rates on the eve of the budget presentation.

Saying that the issue of tax is highly confidential and a matter of national security, he said that the matter should be investigated.

Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota said that his serious attention has been drawn on the issue after the UML lawmakers stood from their seats in a gesture of protest demanding answers from the Finance Minister.

Annapurna Post, a leading broadsheet Nepali daily newspaper, in its Monday’s edition made a damning allegation that Sharma changed the tax rates by using a chartered accountant and a retired senior non-gazetted officer on the night of May 28, a day before the budget was presented in the Parliament.

Earlier on Monday, some lawmakers also demanded clarification from Sharma and investigation into the matter.