- Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Kathmandu, Nov 6: Stakeholders from 14 local governments from all seven provinces have pledged to enhance investment in youth and actively promote Youth-Friendly Local Governance (YFLG) in the Capacity Enhancement Program for the promotion of the YFLG campaign.
The participants have formulated an action plan to connect youth concerns with the local governance system and foster their active participation, involvement, and cooperation to promote youth rights in the country.
A three-day capacity-building programme was conducted from 1-3 November 2023 in Chitwan to chart out a concrete way forward for this campaign with the ownership of the Local Governments. A total of 42 representatives, three from each selected Rural/Municipalities representing locally elected youth representatives, heads of youth-related local structure, and executive committee members, were present in the programme.
The programme conducted with the ownership of the National Youth Council of the Nepal Government, and financial and technical assistance from UNDP and Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal, was facilitated by Dipesh Ghimire and Mina Sharma.
Tilottam Paudel, President of Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal and an Executive Member of the National Youth Council, stated that the programme aims to strengthen the skills and commitment of local government representatives and staff, promote youth-friendly initiatives at the grassroots level, and facilitate the sharing of local-level experiences.
Kamala Gyawali, the Under Secretary of the National Youth Council, presented an overview of the council and encouraged the participants to execute the YFLG programme by formulating pertinent policies, and initiatives, and allocating budgets accordingly.
Binitia Karki, the Youth Program Officer at UNDP, emphasized the importance of a strategic approach to ensuring the sustainability of this campaign. She also noted that UNDP has been actively collaborating in this campaign for the past two years.
During the programme, in-depth discussions were held on various topics, including the introduction of YFLG, strategic planning, localization of indicators and their verification, identification, and prioritization of pressing youth issues, relevant international commitments, constitutional, legal, and policy frameworks, as well as issues about gender equality and social inclusion mainstreaming.
Speaking at the program, the Deputy Mayor of Kanchanrup, Ms Muna Pokhrel and Kawasoti Municipality, Ms Phul Kumari Thanet stressed the need of proper resource mobilization for the effective implementation of the YFLG campaign through the localization of seven strategies, 46 work policies, 45 indicators, and four steps for adoption.
The Chief Guest of the closing ceremony, Surendra Basnet, Executive Vice President of the National Youth Council, affirmed the council’s dedication to advancing the YFLG campaign. He also called upon all Local Governments to collaborate and coordinate with the council to promote the YFLG campaign. The participants were also provided with certificates.
Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal, an organization dedicated to empowering children, youth, and adolescents, is promoting YFLG along with Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) and girls empowerment, while the National Youth Council has allocated policy and budget resources for the implementation of the YFLG program in at least one local government in each of Nepal’s 77 districts.
The programme covered the participants of Rautamai Rural Municipality, and Triyuga Municipality, Udayapur (Koshi Province), Kanchanrup and Khadak Municipality, Saptari (Madhesh Province), Madi and Kalika Municipality, Chitwan (Bagmati province), Kawasoti and Devchuli Municipality, Nawalpur (Gandaki province), Tilottama Municipality, Rupandehi and Sunwal Municipality, Parasi district (Lumbini Province), Mahabu and Naumule Rural Municipality, Dailekh (Karnali province) and Dashrathchand and Melauli Municipality (Baitadi).
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Relief materials provided by India dispatched towards quake-hit region
Janaki (Banke), Nov 6: Two truck-loads of relief materials provided by India have been dispatched along with a team of security persons towards Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim, the earthquake-hit region, from Nepalgunj Airport.
Chief District Officer of Banke, Shrawan Kumar Pokharel said the relief goods were sent towards the disaster affected area from Nepalgunj Airport at 9.30 am today under the command of Assistant Inspector Binod Singh Sikh of the Armed Police Force Nepal, Number 30 battalion, and a Deputy Head Constable of Nepal Police.
CDO Pokharel said one truck-load of relief goods is for Jajarkot and the next truck-load is for Rukum Paschim. The relief materials will be handed over to the Chief District Officer of the respective districts.
Ambassador of India to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava had on Sunday handed over the relief goods to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka. The relief materials include 625 units of plastic tarpaulin and tents, 1000 units of sleeping bags, 1000 blankets, 70 large-size tents, 35 packets of tent accessories, medicines and 48 other various articles, among others.
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Almost half of deceased in quake were children
Bheriganga (Surkhet), Nov 6: Almost half of those killed in the earthquake on Friday were children, it has been found. According to data with the police, 78 of the 157 people killed in the quake on the night of November 3 were children. Of the deceased children, 50 died in Jajarkot and 28 in Rukum West due to the quake, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Roka.
Twenty eight of 52 people died in the quake in Rukum West were children, said the district police chief Namraj Bhattarai. “Most of the deceased in Rukum West were children. Two 10-month-old children have also lost their lives,” he said.
According to the Jajarkot police, of the 105 deceased in Jajarkot, 50 were children, 33 women and 18 men. In Rukum West, 16 women and eight men died in the quake.
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Force attempting to abolish federalism: JSP Chair Yadav
Bara, Nov 6: Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairperson Upendra Yadav today said that a force was trying to abolish federalism and inclusiveness.
Addressing an event organised at Telkuwa Mahadev temple in Bara to exchange best wishes on the occasion of coming Tihar and Chhath festivals, the leader said democracy would be in danger if federalism and inclusiveness were eliminated. “For the implementation of federalism, police, bureaucracy and economic resources should be handed to the provinces, and laws should be made to empower the provinces,” he said.
In the context that the federal government has allocated only 12 percent of the budget to Madhes Province that makes up 53 percent of the total population of the country, the issue of how many years it would take to develop the province has raised, he said.
“We need our own rights, good governance and administration. We do not need the administration sent by the federal government. Federalism means partnership in the centre, own governance and administration in the provinces, only then our rights will be secured.”
Saying extracting the Chure rampantly has had its direct effects on Madhes Province, he said the decision (if any) of turning Madhes into a desert by exploiting the Chure would not be acceptable to the people of Madhes.
In a different context, the leader demanded that the government operates Birgunj sugar factory, agricultural tools factory, Biratnagar jute mill, Hetauda textile factory, Bansbari shoe factory and Hetauda cement factory as soon as possible.
On the occasion, Chief Minister of Madhes Province Saroj Kumar Yadav, Chair of the JSP, Madhes Province, Rambabu Kumar Yadav and leaders Ram Kishor Yadav, Rambabu Yadav, Paras Sah, Baccha Yadav and Sharada Shankar Jayaswal extended their best wishes.
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President calls on international industrialists, businesses to invest in Nepal
Kathmandu, Nov 6: President Ramchandra Paudel has called on the international entrepreneurs to invest in the agriculture, tourism and energy sectors in Nepal.
The President made this call while inaugurating the two-day 37th conference of Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) here today. The conference is jointly organised by CACCI and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).
“Investment areas have been expanding in Nepal and laws are being formulated for facilitating investment. I urge the international industrialists-businessmen to invest in the agriculture, tourism and energy sectors,” the President said.
The Head-of-State maintained that there are many opportunities in the investment and business sectors to link the immense natural resources and means as agriculture, water resources and tourism existing in our country having intense desire for economic development with the global market.
He further said, “Now India and Bangladesh are also becoming the market for Nepal’s electricity. The progress made in the recent days in the power trade sector has opened significant opportunities to the entrepreneurs who want to invest in the hydroelectricity sector. I call upon you all to invest in the hydroelectricity sector of Nepal.”
On the occasion, President Paudel also appealed to all the industrialists and business persons to provide assistance with humanitarian feeling to the survivors of the earthquake with its epicentre in Jajarkot that caused huge loss of life and property in Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim on Friday night.
Describing the small and medium industries as the backbone of the country’s economy, he said, “In the modern age, sustainability is not only a jargon, but also the bedrock of our future. The small and medium industries are the backbone of the economy as they create growth, novelty and employment.”
Noting that entrepreneurship means not only starting the business, he said, it also means adopting innovation, intensifying the diversity and also the strongest basis of addressing the challenges faced by our society.
“You have been pursuing this spirit and I am confident you will continue to do so,” the President said, adding that sustainable entrepreneurship and business were an important part of the basis for prosperous and sustainable future as well as the economy in the real sense.
According to him, these not only provide the catalyst for economic growth, but also to build cross-border relations and maintain them.
“The arbitration that the business sector organisations provide towards facilitating trade and the services including the digitalization of the process and networking opportunities are the tools of linking the business with the world,” the President reiterated.
He expressed the confidence that entrepreneurship and trade contribute towards strengthening the world-wide multilateralism and consolidating the global peace through mutually beneficial linkages.
Noting that Nepal’s geographical location between China and India is a strategic advantage, President Paudel viewed this situation makes Nepal as the natural gateway for the enterprises seeking to establish access to these huge consumer markets.
“Nepal’s membership in the regional trading agreements as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) provides access to the industries and businesses to the huge network of trade partners in this region,” he added.
As the President said, Nepal has abundant active, disciplined and peace-loving workforce in the labour market, and this is an asset for the enterprises seeking the possibilities for skilled labour, innovation and entrepreneurship development.
Stating that the country’s burgeoning middleclass is a rising consumer market, he opined this presented an opportunity for various industries including those related to the retail, consumer goods and services.
“Nepal, which has natural diversities, carries immense possibility of tourism sector development, and I believe the investment made in this sector today will start paying tomorrow,” the President said and urged for investing in information technology, production-based industries and agriculture sectors in Nepal as these are the other feasible areas for investment.
He stated that the topics of the conference were not only the matter of global concern but also equally relevant for the economic development and sustainability of Nepal.
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Emergency flights taking place from Ranjha airport for quake victims
Kohalpur (Banke), Nov 6: Emergency flights are being operated from Ranjha airport following the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West.
A helicopter of the Nepal Army is transporting the quake victims to Nepalgunj and flying back to the affected areas with relief materials for the victims, said Nepalgunj airport office. Similarly, an aircraft of the Nepal Airlines is operating from and to the airport, said the office.
On Sunday, an aircraft of Indian Air Force landed in the airport with emergency relief materials weighing 11 tonnes for the victims.
The relief goods include tarpaulins, blankets, bed sheets, bags, medicines and medical equipment. Emergency flights are being operated in the past few days for the transport of the injured and relief materials, said the office.
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16,570 houses completely damaged due to earthquake in Rukum West
Rukum Paschim, Nov 6: Sixteen thousand five hundred and seventy houses have been completely destroyed due to the earthquake in the six local levels in Rukum Paschim.
Chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee and Chief District Officer, Hari Prasad Panta, said that this number might increase as data collection is still under way in the district. Based on the data presented by the municipality mayors and the rural municipality chairpersons in the Committee meeting the highest number of houses have been damaged in Aathbiskot Municipality of the district.
It is stated that 7,148 houses have suffered complete damage in Aathbiskot Municipality, followed by 3,146 houses in Sanibheri Rural Municipality. Seven hundred and twenty-two houses in Sanibheri have been partially damaged by the Friday night tremor.
Similarly, 1987 houses have been completely damaged and 4.374 houses partly damaged in Chaurajahari Municipality while 2,300 houses have been completely destroyed and 3,500 partially damaged in Musikot Municipality.
Likewise, 1935 houses have been completely damaged and 1,258 houses partially damaged in Triveni Rural Municipality while 18 houses have suffered complete damage and 107 houses partial damage in Banfikot Rural Municipality, it is stated.
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16,570 houses completely damaged due to earthquake in Rukum West
Rukum Paschim, Nov 6: Sixteen thousand five hundred and seventy houses have been completely destroyed due to the earthquake in the six local levels in Rukum Paschim.
Chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee and Chief District Officer, Hari Prasad Panta, said that this number might increase as data collection is still under way in the district. Based on the data presented by the municipality mayors and the rural municipality chairpersons in the Committee meeting the highest number of houses have been damaged in Aathbiskot Municipality of the district.
It is stated that 7,148 houses have suffered complete damage in Aathbiskot Municipality, followed by 3,146 houses in Sanibheri Rural Municipality.Seven hundred and twenty-two houses in Sanibheri have been partially damaged by the Friday night tremor.
Similarly, 1987 houses have been completely damaged and 4.374 houses partly damaged in Chaurajahari Municipality while 2,300 houses have been completely destroyed and 3,500 partially damaged in Musikot Municipality.
Likewise, 1935 houses have been completely damaged and 1,258 houses partially damaged in Triveni Rural Municipality while 18 houses have suffered complete damage and 107 houses partial damage in Banfikot Rural Municipality, it is stated.
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Parliamentary panel calls for easy availability of essentials, medicines in quake-hit
areas
Kathmandu, Nov 6: The Industry and Commerce, and Labour and Consumer Interest Committee under the House of Representatives has directed the government to make arrangements for easy availability of essentials of daily consumption, including medicines, in the earthquake-ravaged areas as Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim.
A meeting of the Committee today also asked the government to make arrangements for the effective distribution of the relief and assistance received from individuals and organisations through the one door system.
The Committee likewise suggested to the government to immediately make smooth provision for temporary shelter, clean drinking water, wholesome food and daily essentials including medicine for the earthquake survivors.
The meeting chaired by the Committee president Abdul Khan paid tributes to those who lost their lives in the earthquake and also expressed condolences to the grief-stricken family members.
Wishing for the speedy recovery of those injured in the disaster, the Committee expressed gratitude for the role and initiatives from all sides made for the rescue and relief works.
One hundred and fifty-seven people have died and more than 240 were injured in the earthquake that occurred in Jajarkot district on Friday night.
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Karnali provincial government continues search, rescue and relief efforts
Karnali, Nov 6: The Karnali provincial government has continued the search, rescue and relief efforts for the earthquake victims in the province. Chief Minister Raj Kumar Sharma said members of the Council of Ministers of the Province were working in the quake affected areas. Following the conclusion of the search and rescue efforts, the rehabilitation of the victims would be carried forward, he said.
Today morning, the Chief Minister himself visited the affected area of Jajarkot. He would visit the affected areas of other districts as per the need, he said. Minister for Economy Affairs and Planning Bedraj Singh has been at work in the affected areas in Jajarkot since Saturday.
Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Krishna Bahadur GC and Minister for Social Development Khadga Bahadur Pokharel were at work in Surkhet. They were carrying out a range of work from collecting and ensuring supply of relief materials.
Since Saturday, relief materials were being supplied through a one-door system to the affected areas from Surkhet airport, said CM Sharma.
Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Bhim Prakash Sharma was at work in Rukum West and Salyan while Minister for Water Resources and Energy Urmila Bishwokarma was looking after the management of drinking water and emerging to the affected area, said GC, also the provincial government spokesperson. According to him, the ministry will repair water supply projects damaged by the quake.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development Mangal Bahadur Shahi was collecting and recording data of physical infrastructure in Jajarkot and Rukum West damaged by the disaster. Minister for Industry, Tourism and Environment Krishna Bahadur BC will assist Shahi, said GC. Funds are being collected from various sectors for the affected areas, and the funds allocated by the provincial government would be sent to the respective local levels within a few days, he informed.
One hundred fifty seven people have lost their lives in the 6.4 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter at Ramidanda of Barekot Rural Municipality in Jajarkot district. The quake took place on November 3 at 11:47 pm.
According to the Karnali Province Police Office, Surkhet, 910 buildings were completely damaged and 2,861 partially by the quake. Two hundred forty six people were injured. One hundred forty six people returned home after treatment, said the police.
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President Paudel postpones his visit to three European countries
Kathmandu, Nov 6: President Ramchandra Paudel’s visit to France, Italy and Germany scheduled for this Wednesday has been postponed.
President’s press advisor Kiran Pokharel informed through a press note today that the Head-of-the-State postponed the scheduled visit with the conclusion that it would not be appropriate to leave the country when a natural disaster like a devastating earthquake has occurred.
It is stated that President Paudel will visit the earthquake-hit region tomorrow to take stock of the situation of the affected people.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale with its epicentre in Jajarkot struck the district in Karnali province the night of November 3, causing big loss of life and property in Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim and other areas. A meeting of the Council of Ministers had approved the President’s visit to the three European countries on November 2.
Pokharel, the press advisor to the President, said the President suspended the visit reaching conclusion that it would not be suitable to leave the country in the aftermath of the natural disaster, although the visit being very important for Nepal and the Nepali people.
The President was scheduled to leave for Paris, France in connection with attending the ‘One Polar Planet Summit’ and the ‘Paris Pact for People and Planet’ conferences under the Peace Forum Programme taking place there from November 9 to11, at the invitation of French President Immanuel Macron.
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