Submit your Article

The public debt has increased by Rs 50 billion 600 million in the first three months of the current fiscal year 2082/83 (2025/26).

According to the Public Debt Management Office, by the end of the last fiscal year, which ended on July 16, the government’s total debt stood at Rs 2,674 billion 40 million. As of the end of Asoj (October 17), it had reached Rs 2,724 billion 650 million. The debt amount is equivalent to 44.61 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Of the total sovereign debt as of October 17, the foreign debt accounts for 53.09 percent or Rs 1,446 billion 580 million, while the domestic debt makes up 46.91 percent or Rs 1,278 billion 70 million.

In the current fiscal year, the government has set a target of mobilizing Rs 595 billion in public debt. In the first quarter, it obtained Rs 100 billion 840 million, which is 16.93 percent of the annual target.

Towards domestic borrowing, the target is Rs 362 billion, and by October 17, the government had raised Rs 90 billion, equivalent to 24.86 percent of the annual target. For external borrowing, 4.65 percent or Rs 1.84 billion of the annual target of Rs 233.66 billion has been achieved.

In the current fiscal year, the government has allocated Rs 411 billion for interest payments on public debt. 

As of October 17, Rs 109.89 billion has been paid, which represents 26.74 percent of the total allocation.

Based on the GDP, total debt servicing expenditure as of October 17 stands at 1.80 percent.

Torrential rain since Thursday has obstructed the Ilam-Rajduwali road section along the Mechi Highway.

Chief District Officer Sunita Nepal said that vehicular movement has been prohibited on the section due to road breakdown at various locations.

Vehicles are completely banned on the road until further notice, she said.

The Tilkeni-Simalgola-Shilpur road, an alternative route to the Mechi Highway, is also blocked due to rain and landslides.

The Mechi Corridor (Kechana-Kanchenjunga road) has been closed since early October last year after its concrete bridge at Maikhola in Belase collapsed.

With all roads connecting Ilam headquarters to Jhapa blocked, road connectivity between Ilam and Jhapa has been severed.

Meanwhile, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the cyclone 'Montha' developed in the Bay of Bengal is expected to affect the weather in various areas, including Ilam in Koshi Province from October 30 to November 1.

The Narayangadh-Muglin road section has been obstructed due to a landslide near Tuin Khola in Ichchhakamana Rural Municipality-5.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) at the District Police Office, Rabindra Khanal informed that the landslide occurred due to continuous rain since Thursday.

Vehicles have been stranded on the road with the traffic disruption.

He said that efforts are underway to clear off the landslide deposition and reopen the road soon.

Most parts of the country have experienced rain and cloudiness due to the cyclone 'Montha' developed in the Bay of Bengal and the influence of a low-pressure system. 

However, the weather will gradually improve from this evening, the Meteorological Forecasting Division stated. 

Currently, most provinces in the country are likely to receive rain and snowfall, with full cloudiness expected in Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Province, while the remaining provinces will generally be cloudy, the division's forecast report noted. 

According to the division, this afternoon there will be moderate rainfall in many areas of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini Province. 

There is a chance of light rainfall in some hilly and mountainous areas of Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces. 

Some places in Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati Provinces, and a few places in Lumbini Province 

, may experience heavy rainfall. 

Likewise, many high hill and mountainous areas of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces may see moderate snowfall. 

There is also a possibility of heavy snowfall in some areas of these provinces. 

The division has cautioned the general public, farmers, travelers, and drivers to take necessary precautions in view of heavy rain and snowfall.