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The government has opened advance ticket booking for long and medium routes from today targeting passengers going to their homes in districts outside the Kathmandu Valley and vice-versa for the upcoming Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.

However, ticket booking for short routes will be opened from Ghatasthapana, the first day of the 15-day Dashain festival, which falls on October 15 this year, said authorities.

The ticket booking has been opened targeting those who are leaving Kathmandu for festivals, it has been said. Six days remain for Ghatasthapana, with the opening of the advance ticket booking, there has been a flood of passengers buying tickets at the New Bus Park since this morning.

The number of passengers at the bus park has increased this year as opposed to previous years, it has been said. Ticket counters at the bus park have been crowded with passengers going to places like Darchula, Dadeldhura, Dhangadhi, Tikapur, Bajhang, Bajura, Salyan, Rukum, Puythan and Rolpa in the west and Taplejung, Ilam, Kakadvitta, Udayapur and other places in the east.

Dipak Rawal, who was heading to Darchula with his four family members, reached the bus park from Lalitpur at 3 am to book a ticket. He wanted to book a ticket for 19 October to go to his home to celebrate Dashain. But he could not get one until 8:30 in the morning. "As there are few buses going to Darchula, there is a problem getting a ticket. Buses should be added during Dashain," he said. One-way transport fare from Kathmandu to Darchula has been fixed at Rs 4,600 per person.

Devraj Ojha, who reached the bus park to book a ticket for Dhangadhi, was waiting to buy a ticket. Ojha, who works for Universal College in New Baneshwor as a supervisor, wants tickets for five people from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi. He had been in a queue since 5 am.

If the government makes arrangements for booking tickets online, you can book tickets online, removing problems and inconvenience being faced by passengers, he viewed.

However, Punya Prasad Sitaula, Senior Vice President of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, claimed that passengers easily get tickets during Dashain. "Due to damaged roads, it takes some time for public vehicles to reach their destinations. But no passengers are left behind without a bus," he said.

The government is at work to open road permits for traffic in all areas of the country for Dashain. Every year, around 2.2 million passengers leave Kathmandu for their home during Dashain.

Meanwhile, Lhotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd. has added 24 booking counters at the bus park in collaboration with transport entrepreneurs. It has also opened advance ticket booking.

Ticket booking counters have been added to systematically provide tickets to the passengers going home for Dashain, said the Lhotse spokesperson Pankaj Malla. "Now, we have added 24 ticket booking counters. We can add more as per need," he said.

From the bus park, around 1,000 public vehicles commute between Kathmandu and more than 68 districts outside on a daily basis, said transport entrepreneurs.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court in Kathmandu against former finance minister of Madhes Province Bijay Kumar, the then finance secretary of Madhes province, Prem Kumar Shrestha, Lalbandi Municipality mayor Man Bahadur Khadka and four others in connection with the establishment of a snake venom collection and processing center in the name of Jhalanath Khanal Institute of Health Sciences (presently known as National Health Sciences Foundation). . 

In the fiscal 2020/21, the provincial government had released a budget along with a grant, received from the federal government for the establishment of a center for collecting and processing snake venom for the production of anti-snake venom. 

More than three years into the release of the funds, the anti-corruption agency has blamed the then minister Yadav, Lalbandi Municipality mayor Khadka and others for going beyond their jurisdiction and demanded recovery of Rs 179.8 million along with fine and imprisonment for those involved as per the Corruption Prevention Act 2002.

The CIAA has sought a longer jail term for minister Yadav, citing section 24 of the Corruption Prevention Act 2002, which has stipulated additional years for senior public office-holders involved in such crimes. 

The authority has accused the then finance secretary of the province, Shrestha, of submitting a grant proposal to the Provincial Planning Commission by falsely stating that the foundation had abundant financial, physical and human resources to execute the project. Based on his proposal, the federal government had released Rs 30.27m as supplementary grants to the foundation.

CIAA has demanded that Shrestha be imprisoned for 8-10 years and Rs 30.27m recovered from him along with a fine of more than Rs 10m.

The CIAA has also pointed fingers at president of the foundation Rewati Prasad Pant, General Secretary Navaraj Bhandari, Treasurer Niraj Bhandari and member Devendra Rai. Per CIAA, the foundation’s Chair Pant had signed a partnership agreement with the government to receive government funding in the name of the foundation, which has zero cost sharing in the project, and had withdrawn Rs 179.8m. The agency has accused the foundation’s board of directors of spending government funds contrary to its objectives and approved programs.

The authority has also made the foundation a defendant demanding confiscation of its land in Lalbandi Municipality-1 along with a jeep.

The government has decided to keep an aircraft on standby to repatriate the bodies of Nepalis who died following the deadly terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel and to rescue the injured.

A meeting of the coordination mechanism held under the headship of Foreign Minister NP Saud on Monday decided to keep an aircraft on standby to repatriate the bodies as soon as possible and to coordinate with the Israeli government.

The meeting has also decided to find a way to safely relocate Nepali citizens living in Israel.

Around 4,500 Nepalis are currently employed as caregivers in Israel. Additionally, there are 265 Nepali students studying there as part of the ‘Learn and Earn’ program of the Israeli government, Foreign Minister Saud had said in the Parliament meeting on Sunday.

Ten Nepali students enrolled in educational institutions in the southern region of Israel have lost their lives in the attack by Hamas on Israel.

According to Nepali Ambassador to Israel Kanta Rijal, the deceased have been identified as Narayan Prasad Neupane and Ashish Chaudhary of Kailali, Ganesh Kumar Nepali of Bajhang, Dipesh Raj Bist and Lokendra Singh Dhami of Darchula, Anand Sah of Dhanusha, Rajesh Kumar Swarnkar of Sunsari, Rajan Phulara of Doti, Padam Thapa and Prabesh Bhandari of Salyan.

Dhan Bahadur Chaudhary from Tikapur, Himanchal Kattel from Gorkha, and Bidhan Sejuwal from Salyan were injured in the attack. They are receiving treatment at a local hospital. Reports suggest that one of the injured is in a critical condition. A person is still missing.

Ananda Saru has held the position of Secretary at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers (OCMCM) in Karnali province since 2020. He also serves as the program director of the Provincial and Local Governance Support Program that oversees PLGSP initiatives in the province and collaborates with development partners.

Previously, he served as the chief administrative officer (Joint Secretary) of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City in Dang, Lumbini province. With a wealth of experience in federal, provincial, and local governments, Saru has engaged with various stakeholders across different tiers of government, gaining a profound understanding of the complexities of the federalization process. ApEx had the opportunity to discuss various aspects of the three-tier government with him.

What changes have occurred in the performance, service delivery, and institutional governance of provincial and local government institutions in Karnali since the implementation of federalism?

The implementation of federalism has brought about significant transformations and improvements in the performance, service delivery, and institutional governance of provincial and local government bodies in Karnali. The primary goal of federalism is to make government structures more accessible to the public, and Karnali has made remarkable progress in this regard. During the conflict period, local public services were notably inadequate. However, since the advent of federalism, both provincial and local elections have been successfully conducted, leading to the installation of people's representatives in local units. Additionally, workforce adjustments have been made to address personnel shortages, with appointments made by the federal government and recommendations from the provincial public service commission. Nevertheless, there is still a shortage of administrative and technical staff at the provincial and local levels, but ongoing efforts aim to address this issue.

The capacity, service delivery, and governance of provincial and local government institutions are steadily improving. Federalism has brought government structures closer to the people, making governance more accessible and community-oriented. Significant progress has been made in various aspects of government service delivery, including personal incident registration, the distribution of social security benefits, the implementation of agricultural and livestock development programs, healthcare services, and business registration. Citizen participation in decision-making processes and expenditure oversight at both the local and provincial levels has increased. Efforts have also been made to establish a culture of adhering to specified deadlines for budget and program submissions and approvals.

Local units are dedicated to enhancing service delivery through self-evaluation and responsiveness to community needs. Citizen engagement has increased across various processes and programs. Furthermore, authorities at both provincial and local levels are formulating and implementing laws tailored to their specific requirements. Institutional structures are gradually being established and reinforced, with greater access for marginalized communities and groups, particularly at the local level. Cooperation between provincial and local levels is growing, and a shift towards a bottom-up planning process is underway.

What measures have been taken to enhance the participation and access of citizens, especially women and marginalized groups, in the local-level planning process, decision-making, and service delivery?

Local units are actively implementing a 7-step plan formulation process and raising awareness in the community about the importance of involving wards and small settlements in the planning process. Thematic committees have become more active, and legal provisions related to the planning process encourage the engagement of all citizens, including children, women, indigenous groups, Madhesi, Dalits, disabled individuals, and marginalized and backward communities in identifying, selecting, prioritizing, and making decisions in the planning process.

Marginalized groups are gradually gaining representation in institutional structures. Various capacity development programs conducted by both the province and local governments have empowered them to participate in decision-making processes. Efforts to include women and marginalized communities in the planning system continue through the formulation of laws, policies, and regulations. Local and provincial public buildings and structures have been made more user-friendly for women and marginalized communities.

Federalism is becoming more accessible to communities that previously faced barriers in accessing government structures. A shift in mindset is taking place, and capacity development training and orientation programs have been organized for people's representatives and employees to increase the involvement of women and marginalized communities in the planning system. Additionally, activities such as community mobilization at the village level, the Chief Minister's program for addressing complaints, the Chief Minister's employment program, parliamentary support initiatives, publication of reports aimed at uplifting and developing Badi communities, and the establishment and operation of a project information management system at the local levels have been implemented.

Furthermore, interaction programs, regular meetings of the provincial coordination council, and the execution of a joint declaration against gender-based violence have been conducted. Comprehensive workshops and orientation programs have been organized at all local levels and provinces to address common concerns and promote collaboration.

Many development partners, including UNDP and EU, are active in Karnali province. Has the provincial government been able to mobilize this support in a meaningful and sustainable way?

Development partners are actively engaged in Karnali province, and their support has been effectively mobilized to promote meaningful and sustainable outcomes. Notable achievements include the formulation of the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy 2020, which emphasizes the commitment to fostering equitable societies. To ensure the effective implementation of policies and initiatives, the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Accounting Procedure 2020 has been established. Comprehensive guidelines for Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) have been developed to promote fair resource allocation.

Karnali province has also established a robust data and information management system to address gender-based violence. A strategy for gender equality and social inclusion mainstreaming has been created to seamlessly integrate these principles into various initiatives across 70 local units. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Testing has been conducted in all 79 local units, and efforts have been made to empower individuals through training sessions for trainers and GESI focal persons. This has led to increased active participation of women and marginalized communities. Laws, policies, strategies, and procedures related to institutional development are yet to be established, and support is being received from various organizations for these aspects.

Coordination with development partners extends to capacity development of Karnali Province Training Institute. The institute is also receiving technical assistance from the Province and Local Government Support Program. Annual program activities, approved by provincial and national coordination committees, are implemented in alignment with the Government of Nepal’s budget system. The training institute also collaborates with development partners like UNDP PLGSP-EUSIF and International IDEA for sustainability, particularly in the initial stages where additional support for infrastructure and systemic capabilities is vital.

Addressing the needs of women and marginalized communities is prioritized in the annual budget and work budget. The recent passage of the Karnali Province Training Institute Act signals a significant role in strengthening the federal system through capacity development of state and local government institutions, including local people's representatives. However, challenges remain, notably in terms of infrastructure development due to Karnali province's challenging geography. The provincial government's limited budget necessitates continued support from development partners for sustainable institution development.

What are the immediate, mid-term, and long-term priorities of Karnali Province Training Academy?

The Karnali Province Training Academy has a range of immediate and mid-term strategies to effectively fulfill its mission. Immediate priorities include constructing essential physical infrastructure such as training rooms, an assembly hall, hostel facilities, reading rooms, and a library. Transportation for training participants and staff must also be arranged. The institute should mobilize both internal and external human resources and focus on formulating strategic and business plans, sector