- Sunday, 5 May 2024
Jaleshwar (Mahottari), April 24: More than 92 houses have been gutted in a fire that took place in Jarlahawahatta of Matihani municipality.
The fire started this afternoon and efforts are being made to put out the fire that broke out this afternoon, District Police Office spokesman and Deputy Superintendent of Police Santulal Prasad Jaiswar said. Six fire engines from Mahottari, three from Dhanusha and one from neighbouring India have been used to extinguish the fire.
A large number of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepali Army and local residents have been deployed to put out the fire. More than 150 houses have suffered damage in the fire.
Fire in Matihani under control after 6 hours
The fire that broke out this afternoon in Jarlahawahatta of Matihani municipality has been put out after six hours.
The fire broke out at around 2:00 pm and quickly spread with the help of strong winds that were blowing. The fire has now been completely brought under control and around 100 houses have been gutted, said Chief District Officer and Chair of the District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee, Shivram Gelal.
However, the details of the loss incurred in the incident will be known only by Thursday, he said.
Meanhwile, the Nepal Red Cross Society Mahottari has provided tent and other relief materials to the families of the victims of Matihani fire.
In the fire, five goats and two pigs also perished. A total of 10 fire engines were used to extinguish the fire that engulfed an entire human settlement.
Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepali Army personnel as well as security personnel from neighbouring India worked to put out the fire.
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Newly appointed minister Pariyar takes oath of office
Karnali, April 24: Newly appointed minister without portfolio of Karnali Province, Ran Singh Pariyar, took oath of office and secrecy on Wednesday.
He took the oath of office and secrecy before Karnali Province Chief, Tilak Pariyar.
Appointed as the minister from the CPN (Maoist Centre), he was chief whip of Maoist Centre in Karnali Province Assembly.
Parliamentary party leader of the CPN (UML) in Karnali Province Assembly, Yam Lal Kandel, was appointed as Chief Minister on April 7. After his appointment as the Chief Minister, he expanded cabinet today after 15 days and is seeking a vote of confidence tomorrow.
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Order to suspend selection of CEO of tourism board
Kathmandu, April 24: The Patan High Court has ordered the government to halt the process of selection of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Tourism Board.
A single bench of Judge Sudarshan Raj Pandey on Monday issued a temporary interim order not to do carry out any activity related to the selection of the new CEO of the NTB.
Following a hearing on a writ petition filed by Kundan Sharma Mishra against the appointment process, the Court has asked the defendant to submit a written reply within 15 days.
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Indian custom clears barrier to Nepali tea after five days
Jhapa, April 24: The Indian customs has cleared the barrier to Nepali tea after five days. Seventeen trucks laden with tea which were stalled inside the Indian border got pass from Kakadbhitta checkpoint on Tuesday.
Chief of Mechi Customs Office, Ram Prasad Regmi, informed that all 17 trucks ferrying tea were passed through the Indian customs point of Panitanki, West Bengal on Tuesday evening. “There is no obstruction for Nepali tea from Indian customs office anymore,” he added. The Indian officials had said they had barred the entry after the direction from central level and later lifted it accordingly.
The Indian side had said a new provision of quality test was put in place, while Nepali side responded that it was impractical to conduct quality test for each load and requested for pass as per previous provision.
Finally, India agreed to act in response to Nepal’s request, thereby facilitating the tea trade.
As per the previous provision, a report of test pass for tea quality could be effective for 15 days.
CTC and orthodox tea produced in Nepal are being exported to India, which is 90 percent market of this product.
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Minister Chaudhary emphasizes on attracting women investors in energy sector
Kathmandu, April 24: Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Bhagawati Chaudhary, has laid the emphasis on the need of encouraging women investors in the energy sector.
At a programme organised by Independent Power Producers’ Association-Nepal (IPPAN) here on Wednesday, Minister Chaudhary said women’s participation is now increasing in all sectors gradually. “Although 33 per cent women’s participation is guaranteed in political sector, there is no remarkable increase of their participation in other sectors,” she said.
The Minister shared that investors are found facing problems due to procedural complications related with several ministries, adding hydropower project is not only a single project, it a sensitive sector as it has direct connection with forest, environment, bio diversity, and locals life.
“The country can be prosperous by selling power. The investment summit is scheduled with an objective of bringing in investment in the country”, Minister Chaudhary underlined.
Himalayan Hydro Expo-2024 has kicked off from today. The IPPAN organised the expo with a message of increasing power consumption.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, had inaugurated the E-vehicle rally. IPPAN President Ganesh Karki said the EV rally was organised with the theme, ‘Let us consume our electricity ourselves”. The government has set a goal of ensuring consumption of 13,000 megawatt electricity by 2035.
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Outcome of Qatari Amir’s visit will be visible soon: Minister Basnet
Kathmandu, April 24: Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, has described the visit by the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to Nepal as significant and historic. “The visit has begun a new phase in the relationship between the two countries,” he said.
Talking to RSS about the visit, he said important discussions were held between the two sides regarding cooperation in the fields of energy, tourism and agriculture. A joint working group to be formed will identify areas of cooperation and collaboration between the two countries, which will be further outlined during the upcoming investment summit as well.
Stating that such high-level visit for the first time from a Gulf country would have significant impact in the future, Minister Basnet said the visit has provided a basis for institutionalizing and taking the bilateral relations to new heights. “The importance of the visit is not limited to what was agreed. Its significance will be far-reaching and concrete outcome of the visit will be seen in practice in the near future,” he added.
The Qatari side showed interest in the energy sector and wish to collaborate in the hydropower sector, which has been taken positively by Nepal. “I believe that there will be some positive results in the energy sector as well.”
Sharing that an agreement was reached to form a working group to give concrete shape to the topics discussed during the visit, Minister Basnet said positive discussion was held on the revision of the labour agreement.
The visit of the Amir of Qatar to Nepal can be regarded as a historic one because the Gulf country is the major labour destination of Nepali workers and is also the first head of state or government from the Gulf region to visit Nepal. The visit has been significant not only because of the presence of the Amir of Qatar in Nepal, but also from the point of view of the topics raised in the bilateral discussions and the agreement reached to take initiative to make them result-oriented.
“The bilateral agreement will take concrete shape in the coming days and we will be able to feel it in the third investment summit as well,” Minister Basnet said.
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Qatar Amir’s visit encourages tourism entrepreneurs
Kathmandu, April 24: The two-day State visit of Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to Nepal has encouraged tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal. The stakeholders said a positive message was spread in the tourism sector.
The two-day state visit of the Qatar Amir is the most high-profile visit from Gulf countries, which would undoubtedly help prop Nepali tourism, the stakeholders added.
Former chair of Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Chhiring Sherpa, viewed, “Qatar Amir’s visit to Nepal would help increase Qatar tourists to Nepal.” The senior tourism entrepreneur further hoped high-end tourists from middle east- Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait could come to Nepal.
The royal family members from Qatar come to Nepal for trekking and mountaineering. Sheikh Mohammad Bin Abdullha Al Thani is the first person to scale world’s highest peak, Sagarmatha from Qatar. He was atop the Sagarmatha on May 22, 2013, while he climbed the Amadablam mountain successfully on November 11, 2020.
Moreover, the royal member of Qatar, Sheikh Asma Al Thani had climbed the Annapurna-I peak.
The Qatari royals are fond of mountain climbing and trekking. The people from Qatar enjoy luxury hotel stay and high-end tourists. Nepal is also expanding the number of deluxe hotels of late.
Chair of Hotel Association Nepal, Binayak Shah, also shares similar observation on Qatari tourists. The royal family members of Gulf countries, including from Qatar, prefer to stay in deluxe hotels like Sintamani of Mustang and Soaltee West End Resort of Chitwan and others. Qatar Amir’s visit to Nepal has given a positive message to Nepali tourism, he argued.
“Qatar is an emerging country in the globe. The visit of such distinguished guest promotes Nepal’s tourism across the globe,” he viewed.
Moreover, noted tourism entrepreneur Yogendra Shakya hoped arrival of foreign tourists would grow in Nepal in the wake Amir Thani’s visit.
According to Nepal Tourism Board, in 2023, a total of 255 people from Qatar had visited Nepal.
Importantly, Qatar Airways is known for its best airlines in the world. It provides air service to over 150 countries through the fleet of over 200 aircrafts. Currently, four flights are conducted by Qatar Airways in Nepal each day.
In two years since 2021, Qatar Airways has brought more than 733 thousand people to Nepal while ferried over 823 thousand people from Nepal to different countries across the globe.
It is expected that air service would be launched from two international airports- Bhairahawa and Pokhara- to Doha, Qatar.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is learnt to have requested the Qatar Amir to consider Qatar air service to Nepal’s new international airports.
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Silence period to begin in Ilam-2, Bajhang-1 from midnight
Kathmandu, April 24: Election related activities have been prohibited from tonight as per the election code of conduct in Ilam-2 and Bajhang-1. The by-election to the member of House of Representatives is taking place in Ilam-2 and Bajhang-1 on coming Saturday.
According to the Election Commission, election related activities are prohibited till the completion of vote count from this midnight, 48 hours before the voting day.
The EC has already made arrangement to enforce the election code of conduct in the concerned districts by carrying out surveillance of the activities in order to control possible activities against election code of conduct during this silence hour.
Any activities like interaction, assembly, conference, workshop, seminar in favour or against candidates as well as seeking vote in favour of candidates through digital platform and social sites likes SMS, Facebook, Viber are restricted during this 48-hours as per the election code of conduct.
Under-Secretary and Assistant Spokesperson at the EC, Ram Dutta Pandey, shared that the bodies concerned have been directed to inform the EC after carrying out monitoring and surveillance during the silence hour in order to hold the by-election in free, fair and impartial environment.
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Bagmati province assembly meeting prorogued tonight
Makwanpur, April 24: Chief of Bagmati Province Yadav Chandra Sharma has prorogued the ongoing session of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly from this midnight.
The session of the Provincial Assembly was prorogued in accordance with Article 183 (2) of the Constitution, according to Spokesperson of the Province Chief Secretariat, Govinda Prasad Paudel.
Speaker Bhuvan Kumar Pathak had adjourned the meeting until further notice, after Chief Minister Shaligram Jamakattel took the vote of confidence for the third time on April 1.
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Asia Cup Triathlon in Pokhara from April 27: Athletes from 15 countries in race
Kaski, April 24: Country’s tourist hub, Pokhara, is hosting the Asia Cup and South Asian Triathlon Championship from April 27.
Preparation for the event has reached the final stage. Nepal Triathlon Association is organizing the tournament with management of Gandaki Province and Kaski district triathlon association.
The championship being attended by 64 athletes from 15 countries will be held at Lakeside of Pokhara, according to Suman Devkota, central chair of Nepal Triathlon Association.
The players attending the event have begun arriving in Pokhara. The sports tourist are coming from Australia, the UAE, Palestine, Uruguay, Austria, Algeria, New Zealand, Luxemburg, Japan, India, Mauritius, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.
It would be a significant event because the chair of World Triathlon Association, Marisol Kasado, and general secretary Antonio Aramani are gracing the championship.
The triathlon is held in sprint. A 750-meter swimming will be held in Phewa Lake and a 20-km cycling to be followed by a running of 5-km.
The winners will be decided based on time consumed for swimming, cycling and race.
It is expected that the games would not only contribute to promotion and development of sports, but also to the Pokhara tourism.
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Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar announced
Kathmandu, April 24: Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar Guthi is to present Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar-2080 to lyricist Birendra Pathak, composer Chandi Kafle and singer Manila Sotang.
The annual general meeting of the Guthi held under chairmanship of Guthi Chairperson Prof Dr Basudev Tripathi decided to present Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar of 2079 BS and 2080 BS to eight different personalities.
According to Guthi, a decision was taken to present ‘Lokpriya Yuwa Prathibha Puraskar-2080’ to Bhupu Pandey for ‘Piraipir—Jhatta herda hajur Jindagi dami chha’, song.
Similarly, lyricist Bhushan Kharel, composer Manaraja Nakarmi and singer Shiva Pariyar are to be honoured with ‘Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar-2079’, said Ghuthi Secretary, Dinesh Adhikari.
Likewise, Menuka Poudel is to be honoured with ‘Lokpriya Yuwa Pratibha Puraskar-2079’ for ‘Paremila basu ki kalejima basu’ song.
The amount of Chhinnalata Geet Puraskar has been increased to Rs 100,000 from 2079 BS while Chhinnalata Yuwa Pratibha Puraskar carries a purse of Rs 50,000 and a letter of felicitation.
The award would be presented on the birth anniversary of founder of the Guthi and litterateur late Ramola Devi Shah ‘Chhinnalata’. The day falls on July 17 this year.
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