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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire held a meeting at the former's official residence in Baluwatar on Monday.

According to a Baluwatar source, they held a discussion on convening the Parliament session on January 31.

Opposition parties have been mounting pressure on the government for not calling the winter session of the Parliament.

It has been said that they also held a discussion on the Parliament business.

The opposition parties have already warned the government that they would start the process to call a special session if the Parliament session is called at the earliest.

Organizing a press conference on Friday, the opposition parties had urged the government to convene the Parliament session as soon as possible.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has directed the Ministry of Health and Population to develop an action plan based on the submissions from the Task Force on Health Insurance Reform.

After a briefing on the report and recommendations by the Task Force at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar today, the Prime Minister stressed that no one should be deprived of healthcare services due to lack of money during illness.

He also highlighted the importance of working towards building a disease-free society.

Stating the Task Force’s recommendations on the health insurance programme as objective, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry to present an action plan for reform within a week.

Minister for Health and Population, Pradip Paudel, Task Force coordinator Dr Shambhu Acharya, members Dr Bhagawan Koirala, Dr Raghuram Kafle, and member secretary Dr Saroj Sharma briefed the Prime Minister on the need for policy, legal, and structural changes in the health insurance program.

Currently, the payment of around Rs 11 billion is awaited under the programme. Of the total population, 27 per cent is enrolled and 48 percent of them are receiving services.

The Task Force recommended that the government make participation in the programme mandatory for all citizens, ensuring free services for those living below the absolute poverty line.

More, the Task Force suggested integrating basic health services with other social security programmes.

The Task Force submitted its report to the Ministry on December 29, 2024.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said that achieving economic prosperity is one of the priorities of the incumbent government.

In his address to a press meet organized by the Nepal Press Union in Mahendranagar today, the Home Minister said the Nepali Congress-CPN-UML government aims to achieve economic prosperity, good governance, durable peace and accelerate the mission for development and prosperity.

"The two major political parties formed the coalition government for bringing political stability and durable peace in the nation," the Minister who represented the NC in the government said.

He took time to say that the government is preparing for summoning the Parliament session soon. "Once the winter session of the Parliament convenes, the first day is expected to see the presentations of recently issued ordinances which will be later replaced by laws."

He urged one and all to be confident that the government will last until the upcoming general elections to take place in 2084 BS. "We have no issues at all."

The Home Minister said the government is committed to addressing issues regarding the construction of a bridge over the Mahakali River and building a dry port in Dodhara Chandani soon.

KATHMANDU: Ambassador of Israel to Nepal, Shmulik Arie Bass, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at his office in Singha Durbar today.

During the meeting, discussions were held on various issues of bilateral relations and mutual interest as well as on mutual cooperation including information technology, investment, tourism, employment, modernization of agriculture, education and culture, according to the Prime Minister's Private Secretariat.

National Assembly member and former Ambassador of Nepal to Israel, Dr Anjan Shakya, and high officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present on the occasion.