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A person died and five others were injured in a car accident at Golanjor Municipality-5 in Sindhuli district along the BP Highway this morning. The car was heading to Kathmandu from Jhapa.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Govinda Raj Kafle of Sindhuli District Police Office, the deceased has been identified as 27-year-old Sushant Nepali, the driver of the car, of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality in Dolakha district.

The condition of 34-year-old Devi Limbu of Letang Municipality–2 in Morang district is critical. She is currently receiving treatment at Sindhuli Hospital.

Others injured in the accident include San Bahadur Tamang (53) of Deumai Municipality–8, Ilam, Shweta Giri (28) and Sanjaya Rokka from Kageshwori Manohara Municipality–5, Kathmandu and Kiskhu Mandal (27) of Bahraghadi Rural Municipality–1 in Jhapa district, according to SP Kafle.

The impacts of lengthy grounding of aircraft due to management incompetence have been reflected in the balance sheet of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). The revenue of the national flag carrier fell by 23.58 percent to Rs 6.09bn in the first six months of fiscal year 2024/25. According to the NAC, revenue fell by Rs 1.87bn from Rs 7.97bn in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. International passenger numbers also fell by over 49,000 during the period.

NAC’s sole source of revenue is from international flight passengers and cargo services. Its operation in domestic sectors was negligible in the review period. The NAC last month halted its domestic operations after its sole Twin Otter had to be grounded due to technical reasons. Its other Twin Otter has been grounded for years due to the inability of the management to repair it.

Over the first six months of 2024/25, NAC flew 253,000 international passengers. The international passenger number was down compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year when the NAC handled 302,000 passengers. A monthly breakdown of revenue shows, the national flag carrier earned Rs 940m in mid-July to mid-August, Rs 680m in mid-August to mid-September, Rs 1.42bn in (mid-September to mid-October, Rs 1.45bn in mid-October to mid-November, Rs 1.73bn in mid-November to mid-December and Rs 1.3bn in mid-December to mid-January.

Average monthly revenue of the NAC has dropped to around Rs 1bn in the current fiscal year, compared to around Rs 1.5bn in the previous fiscal year, according to NAC officials. NAC’s flights were affected in the review quarter as its aircraft had to be grounded for a long time for scheduled C-checks or other repairs. Out of four aircraft for international operation, one double-aisle and one single-aisle aircraft had to go to Italy for scheduled C-checks during the review period, while the third aircraft remained grounded for nearly three months.

The grounding of aircraft during peak tourist and festive seasons led to decline in both revenue and passengers, according to NAC.

The Health Ministry of Bagmati Province has officially set the new fare for ambulance services in accordance with the National Ambulance Guidelines, 2078 BS.

The decision was made following a ministerial-level meeting held on January 21.

Ambulance management committees in all 13 districts of the province have been informed about the revised fare structure.

The new fare for distances within five kilometers has been set between Rs 300 and Rs 500 considering this as geographic flag distance, as stated by Dr Khageshwor Gelal, Chief of the Ministry’s Medical Services Division.

The public continues to suffer due to the prolonged delay in the construction of the Gwarko Flyover in Lalitpur, attributed to the negligence of officials from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and the Road Department. The Quality Research and Development Center of the Road Department issued a tender under the EPC model in 2021, aiming to complete the project within two years.

A contract was awarded to Ashish-Samanantar-Religare JV in 2021. At the time, Prabhat Kumar Jha was the project head. However, he later stepped down, and a series of officials, including Kailash Kumar Shrestha, Navinman Shrestha, Ajay Mul, and Nareshman Shakya, took over the role. Surprisingly, Jha has now returned as project head, raising concerns among ministry employees.

“There were vested interests behind Jha’s reinstatement as project chief,” a ministry official told Annapurna. Frequent changes in project leadership and the personal agendas of officials have significantly delayed construction. Road Department spokesperson Arjun Prasad Aryal confirmed that work has been stalled for several days but claimed ignorance about the reason. “I have summoned the project chief for discussions. I can provide details only after speaking with him,” Aryal said.

The construction team has accused Jha of disregarding progress made by previous project chiefs, delaying work by failing to implement pre-approved designs, lab tests, and quality assurance plans. His refusal to follow existing technical plans has escalated costs and further pushed back the completion timeline.

Jha has also ordered a re-testing of the previously approved quality assurance plan without justification, forcing the creation of a new plan. This, according to the construction company, will further delay completion and inflate costs. The project, originally tendered by the Road Department’s Quality Research and Development Center based on Geocom Company’s design and cost estimates, was initially projected to cost Rs 230m to Rs 250m. However, it was contracted for Rs 176m. So far, Rs 440m has been spent, with an additional Rs 150m needed for completion.

A senior Road Department official alleged that Jha’s reinstatement was influenced by personal ties, stating, “The company that prepared the project’s design and cost estimate is linked to Jha’s son-in-law. He leveraged this connection to regain his position as project chief.”

Adding to concerns, Jha reportedly ordered the use of substandard materials, against geotechnical engineers' advice, jeopardizing the flyover’s structural integrity. For instance, temporary casing—normally unnecessary in areas with soil—was installed, requiring an imported machine that cost Rs 3m and took three months to arrive, further inflating expenses. Road Department employees have remained silent about the rationale behind this decision.

Officials claim Jha deliberately set unnecessary standards to obstruct approvals and harbored a personal grudge against the construction company. Even the minister is aware of Jha’s mismanagement, and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority is monitoring the situation.

Terre Armée, a company involved in major infrastructure projects, has been providing design, supervision, and construction materials for the Gwarko Flyover. However, Jha has reportedly threatened the company, warning of consequences if it does not comply with his directives.

While the Road Department has also held the contractor accountable for flaws in the project, officials accuse Jha of using excuses—such as rejecting a two-year-old quality assurance plan and demanding repeated design reviews and lab tests—to stall progress. These tactics, they claim, have demoralized the construction team and served his personal interests.

A ministry official further alleged that Jha is spreading misinformation about the construction company to justify further delays. “He is briefing the ministry with false claims, blaming the company to cover his own failures,” the official said.

With delays mounting and costs skyrocketing, the Gwarko Flyover remains unfinished, leaving the public to bear the consequences of bureaucratic inefficiency and vested interests.