- Saturday, 30 August 2025
Kathmandu, June 22: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has taken briefings from the officials of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and the line agencies about the discovery of methane gas in Dailekh. PM Oli also talked with the officials about the mining of iron ore at Dhaubadi in Nawalparasi Purva.
At a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar today, the officials briefed the PM about the result of the discovery of methane gas and future plan of actions.
The China Geological Survey (CGS) has recently submitted the preliminary report of the exploration of petroleum products and natural gas in Dailekh to the Government of Nepal. The report revealed that Jaljale area in Dailekh district has a reserve of 112.1 billion cubic meter of methane gas.
Likewise, PM Oli was also briefed about the progress on mining of iron ore at Dhaubadi in Nawalparasi Purva after the completion of feasibility study from Daubadi Iron Company Limited.
According to the Company, the Dhaubadi site has a storage of 99 million of tonne of iron.
The Company stated that iron and steel could be produced from there within four years through regular processes.
During the meeting, PM Oli directed the officials to work seriously for the production of methane gas and bring it in use within a week adding that there will be full support and financial arrangement from the government for the production of methane gas.
Likewise, PM Oli directed to work for commercial production of iron and steel from Dhaubadi by 2085 BS and promised to ensure needed means and resources, and legal facilitation from the government.
PM Oli’s advisor Bishnu Prasad Rimal, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari and the MPs from Dailekh district were present at the meeting.
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HoR Members express displeasure to upcoming FY’s annual budget
Kathmandu, June 22: The House of Representatives (HoR) Members have expressed their displeasure to the annual budget of the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 BS.
Speaking in today’s HoR meeting, most of the HoR Members have criticized the upcoming FY’s budget while taking part in the deliberations on budget allocation for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Urban Development.
They said that the government failed to strike a balance in budget allocation adding that the people have pinned high hopes on the lawmakers about the allocations for their election constituencies.
CPN (UML) lawmaker Basudev Ghimire said that the people have expected budget for the development construction in the election constituency from the lawmakers though legislators were primarily for lawmaking.
Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Maina Karki said the people from Jajarkot had shared their demands for development needs but the district was not in the priority list in the upcoming FY’s budget. She urged the government to ensure budget allocation for Jajarkot district and the Karnali Province at large.
Likewise, NC lawmaker Dev Prasad Timalsena criticized the trends of allocating budget in certain constituencies.
UML lawmaker Prabhu Hajara asked the government to construct Narayani Stadium, upgrade Narayani Hospital and resume services from small customs points in the Madhes Province.
Also taking part in the deliberations, CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Purna Bahadur Ghartimagar said the trend of budget allocation is traditional thus it does not support the proper exercise of federalism.
NC lawmaker Dr Sunil Kumar Sharma said the budget allocation should be judicious. “The budget should be immediately amended. The allocation should be judicious,” Dr Sharma added.
Similarly, NC lawmaker Purna Bahadur Tamang took exception to the hefty allocation of budget in the constituencies of some ministers.
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Safe shelter needed for marginalized community, stakeholders argue
Kathmandu, June 22: Stakeholders have stressed that access to safe shelter should be ensured to the members from marginalized community, which they said is a constitutionally guaranteed rights.
At a national-level consultation workshop on community-led housing organized by Lumanti Support Group for Shelter, and the Ministry of Urban Development, the speakers asked all the line agencies to accelerate their roles for the implementation of right to safe shelter.
The programme organized with the motive to foster meaningful discussions witnessed the participation of policymakers, practitioners and development partners working in the area of community-led housing models.
During the programme, Secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development Gopal Prasad Sigdel said that the constitution has included the right to shelter as a fundamental right and the government was giving emphasis for shelter development in line with the urban development policy.
He shared that drafting of the Urban Development Bill is under process and said that the government was also planning to carry out a survey on housing.
Secretary Sigdel said that the government was working to amend the laws on integrated settlement.
Mayor of Kalika Municipality Binod Regmi said that the marginalized communities need employment and income generation opportunities along with housing facilities.
He also stated that residences were not properly used in some of the contexts and asked to take this aspect into consideration.
Director General of Urban Development Machakaji Maharjan and Executive Director of Lumanti Lajana Manandhar and others also spoke at the event.
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Campaigner Bohara meets Prime Minister Oli
Kathmandu, June 22: Campaigner Nabaraj Bohara, who began a barefoot journey from Surkhet to Kathmandu, has visited Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s official residence, Baluwatar today.
Bohara had arrived in Kathmandu on June 20, the 31st day of his protest journey, advocating for various issues like Karnali’s good governance, development, ecological balance and animal protection.
He had expressed his willingness to meet Prime Minister Oli on June 20.
On the occasion, Bohara familiarized Prime Minister Oli about his experience in course of campaign and the problems facing children in lack of treatment and initiatives taken to resolve these problems.
Suggesting Bohara to launch a campaign with good intention, Prime Minister Oli urged him to move ahead taking care of his health and families as well.
Campaigner Bohara expressed happiness over the opportunity he got to meet the Prime Minister and shared that he would move ahead in a new way with the successful conclusion of first-phase campaign.
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Probe committee on visit visa scam within five days: UML Chief Whip
Kathmandu, June 22: Chief Whip of the CPN UML, Mahesh Bartaula, has said government was committed to the enforcement of two-point agreement signed between the ruling and opposition parties on visit visa scam.
During the ongoing meeting of the House of Representatives which is deliberating on various ministries under the Appropriation Bill, 2082 today, UML Chief Whip informed a mechanism will be formed within few days in relation to the two-point agreement.
He reiterated, “Government is firm in the agreement made with the opposition party. So, we don’t wait for a month. A mechanism will be in place within five days. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak himself will announce from the parliament on it.”
He expressed objection to the continued obstruction of the parliament by the Rastriya Swatantra Party.
Earlier, Hitraj Pande, chief whip of the major opposition, demanded that government must not delay in forming a probe committee on visit visa scam as per agreement.
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End tradition of passing budget unchanged: Lawmaker Khatiwada
Kathmandu, June 22: Lawmakers have stressed the need of ending the tradition of passing the annual budget unchanged. It is wrong to pass the budget without even changing semicolons and full stops.
Putting forth his views on budget allocation under various ministries during the HoR meeting today, Ram Hari Khatiwada viewed budget should not be passed without changing even semicolons and full stops, while adequate discussion is held on it after announcement.
He demanded to correct the mistakes and weaknesses seen in the budget. Khatiwada laid emphasis on the need to continue the existing provision of providing senior citizen allowance after the age of 68.
Similarly, Ram Krishna Yadav demanded the government to change the name of Urban Development Ministry as Rural Development Ministry.
Mentioning that lawmakers under proportional system were discriminated, Bijula Rayamajhi asked the government to increase budget in the sector of women and children.
Surya Prasad Dhakal and Mukta Kumari Yadav also voiced for correcting budget.
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General Secretary Thapa bats for capitalist system for elevating people’s status
Lalitpur, June 22: General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, Gagan Kumar Thapa, has said liberal and capitalist systems are beneficial to elevate people’s life standard.
During his interaction with Labour Party leader, Dr Bachchu Kailash Kaini, on ‘British parliamentary democracy and Labour Party’ amidst a programme here Sunday, General Secretary Thapa said Nepali Congress have been favouring liberalism and capitalism to improve people’s status. The programme was organized by the Central Department of Library and Party Study Resource, NC.
“We want a prosperous Nepal, which we believe, would be achieved by in the capitalist model. Profit making is not a crime. We want to improve the living standard of grassroots people,” he reminded.
The General Secretary further said Nepal too has adopted the British model of parliamentary system. He too has huge trust in this system. NC has sisterly relations with Labour Party, Thapa said, adding that old parties’ crises are reflected in the status of Labour Party in the UK.
The Labour Party’s advocacy for individual property and liberalism in 1995 was also raised by his party in Nepal, according to him. As per the liberal policy, NC had allocated adequate budgets to the education, health and roads in rural area after 1992.
On the occasion, Kaini informed that he was associated with the Labour Party since 2012. Despite his origin in Nepal, Kaini has become an educational and health management expert and a politician in the UK.
Once, he was the district secretary of Nepal Student Union in Tanahu.
Dr Kaini also shared his experience and made analyses of democratic exercise and operation of Labour Party in the UK. Intra-party democracy, policy making process, participation of diverse community and responsible leadership were other issues he explained on the occasion.
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HoR discussion on different ministries concludes
Kathmandu, June 22: Discussion on headings of different ministries under the Appropriation Bill-2082 concluded in the House of Representatives on Sunday.
Lawmakers put forth their views on different headings of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Women, the Children and Senior Citizens, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Cooperative Development, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the National Planning Commission, and the Offices of the President and of the Vice-President.
Earlier, during the discussion, Chief Whip of the CPN UML, Mahesh Bartaula, suggested establishing a coordination section at Parliament Secretariat. He expressed the view that lawmakers could submit their proposal at the section by ending the trend of visiting the ministries for people’s need and plan.
Similarly, Sita Gurung of the Nepali Congress commented that the budget was not friendly to women nor to children and senior citizen. She demanded government to manage budget for arrangement of ‘safe house’ in all seven provinces for the victims of domestic violence or any other violence.
The HoR will meet next at 11:00 Monday. The respective ministers will answer the questions raised during the deliberation on different ministries under the Appropriation Bill in the meeting.
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Poetry collection celebrating Yala released in New York
Kathmandu, June 22: Nepali poet Rajan Maharjan’s debut English-language poetry collection, ‘Ode to Yala’, was released at a literary programme in Queens, New York.
Published by Nirala Publications, New Delhi, the collection comprises 23 poems-both long and short—honouring the poet’s birthplace, Yala (Patan), the historic city nestled in the heart of the Kathmandu Valley.
The book, rich in imagery and cultural depth, offers a lyrical tribute to the poet’s roots while reflecting his experience in the diaspora. The book was formally unveiled by poet Yuyutsu Sharma alongside Maharjan’s four-year-old daughter Arlani, his wife Asmita, and his in-laws.
Poet Sharma emphasized the cultural and literary significance of Ode to Yala in the broader context of English-language writing emerging from Nepal. He praised Maharjan for crafting a vivid and emotionally resonant body of work. “In Ode to Yala, Maharjan cements his voice as a poet of both longing and discovery, embracing the duality of exile and belonging,” Sharma observed.
The programme also featured reflections from members of the International Nepali Literary Society (INLS), including Gita Khatri, Jyoti Poudel, Laxmi Shrestha, and Rajendra Shrestha.
Also speaking on the occasion Ananda Shrestha, Gobind Koirala, Tulasi Chitrakar, and Nepalbhasa poet Amrit Man Jha, praised the poet’s contribution to the diasporic literature.
Poet Maharjan celebrated his native city through poetry and extended heartfelt thanks to the Nepali community in New York.
The event was organized by Nirala Publications in collaboration with local partners and supported by the venue, Foodmandu. Ode to Yala is currently available on Amazon, Flipkart, and Daraz, and will be available in the leading bookstores across Nepal and internationally in the coming weeks.
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