Submit your Article

The government has released Rs 1 billion for the payment of Covid-19 insurance claims. A Cabinet meeting held in the first week of September had decided to release Rs 1 billion for the payment of Covid-19 insurance claims. According to the same, the Ministry of Finance released the amount on Sunday. Insurance Committee Chairman Surya Silwal said that the payment will be made only after Dashain. Patients have been claiming their insurance for the past one year.  

As the low-pressure line of the monsoon is near to its average line, Province 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Karnali Province and Sudurpaschim Province are likely to receive light rain today. Partial rain is forecast in other provinces, according to the Weather Forecast Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Some places in Province 1 and one to two places of remaining provinces are receiving light rain now. In the afternoon, the weather will remain partly cloudy in some places of Province 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province and Karnali Province. The Department has forecast chances of heavy rain in one to two places of the Sudurpaschim Province. The weather pattern tonight will also remain the same of the afternoon, it is said. Kathmandu would see maximum temperature of 30 Degree Celsius and minimum 19.6 Degree Celsius today.

As the construction works along the Narayangarh-Butwal road section of the East West Highway remained intolerably slow, the government has warned the contractor of contract termination. Issuing a notice on Sunday, the South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation Road Connectivity Project of the Department of Roads said that the contract agreement would be terminated if the existing way of working of the contractor was not improved. The 114 kilometers of road stretch was separated in two sections while awarding the contract through a global bidding process. The China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited had won the tender bidding of both section for pledging to construct the road section in the minimum base rate. It is said that several complaints were received on the part of the construction company regarding the dillydallying of the project. The project was expected to complete on August 7, 2022. However, the construction company completed just 18 per cent of the total task in the final deadline. Against this backdrop, the Department of Roads has warned the construction company to mend its ways and ensure reforms in a month otherwise get ready to face contract termination. The Department has further said that the travelers and vehicles have faced several issues including difficulties in travel, air pollution and others due to carelessness of the construction company. The community people in the affected area have also suffered while road accidents have soared. As the contract agreement ended on August 7, the government has extended the deadline for one more year at the request of the construction company but the construction works at present have halted, Chief Engineer of Narayanghat-Butwal Road Project (Eastern Section) Ramesh Kumar Dristi said. The project being developed with nearly Rs 17 billion in loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The first day of "Navaratra" is being marked today by worshiping the deity Shailaputri in accordance with Vedic rituals and preparing for Jamara (barley shoots) by sowing maize and barley seeds in a jar filled with soil and cow dung for germination. Deity Shailaputri is worshiped for observing Ghatastapana on the auspicious hour. The auspicious hour for observing Ghatasthapana is 10:23 am today, according to Nepal Calendar Determination Committee. Deity Shailaputri is one of the nine deities worshiped in Navaratri. Prayers are also offered to Durga Bhavani, the goddess of power today. Germination of the auspicious "Jamara" is also initiated at Hanumandhoka Dashain Ghar in accordance with Vedic rituals. With the marking of Ghatasthapana, celebrations and worships take place in the Shaktipeeth across the country including in the Kathmandu Valley. Likewise, there is also a tradition of sacrificing animals while initiating the germination of the "Jamara".