- Friday, 29 August 2025
Kathmandu, Aug 13: The House of Representatives is meeting at 1:00 pm today.
Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply, Minister for Health and Population, and Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation are scheduled to respond to the queries surfaced on their respective ministries.
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung will be presenting a proposal, seeking consideration on ‘Information Technology and Cyber Security Bill, 2082’ in the parliament.
Similarly, five parliamentary committees are holding meetings today itself.
The Finance Committee, the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee, the Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resource Committee, the Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee, and the Federalism Strengthening and National Concern Committee are holding the meetings.
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02- 39 menstrual huts demolished in Kanchanpur
Dodhara Chandani, Aug 13: Total 39 menstrual huts have been demolished recently in Kanchanpur district. The District Police Office, Kanchanpur shared that Bedkot municipality-10 dismantled 23 such huts and Krishnapur municipality-1 dismantled 16 huts used for girls and women during menstruation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Office, Sagar Bohara, stated that the period huts were destroyed in the presence of local representatives, social organization, police and commoners. Nigali and Bhenti bazaar witnessed highest number of demolition.
The local, district and provincial levels were alarmed especially after the death of 28-year-old Kamala Auji due to snakebite during her stay in menstrual hut last month. The incident occurred at Nagal of Krishnapur municipality-1.
The District Administration Office had issued directive to all local levels to wipe out the huts kept for practicing superstitious belief that if the woman and girls are kept together with family members during their period, it is sheer disrespect to God.
Ward no 10 chairman of Bedkot municipality, Ratan Singh Bista, informed that even his local level had flattened 23 such outhouses. He, however, shared the plight, “We dismantle the menstrual huts, but the concerned households construct again.”
He also shared further plan of giving orientation to the households on harmfulness of such superstitious practice.
It is essential to raise massive public awareness against the social ill like practicing chhau (isolation and untouchability) and secluding menstruating women in chhaugoth, the outhouse.
Chairman of ward no 1, Mohan Basnet, said his community was, however, relatively aware against such ill practice. In the past, they also destroyed 16 such outhouses.
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03- Monsoon active across country
Kathmandu, Aug 13: The Weather Forecasting Division has said the country will remain cloudy today. As the low pressure belt of monsoon is around Tarai region, Nepal is predicted to have active monsoon in the next 24 hours.
Some of the places in Madhes, Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim provinces will have heavy rainfall. Few places in these provinces will have torrential rains.
Karnali Province is also predicted to have heavy rainfall in one to two places.
Coming night, cloudy weather is forecasted in Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces. Moderate rainfall is likely in the hilly region of Gandaki and Karnali provinces. Most of the places in Tarai belt are expected to have moderate rainfall coming night.
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04- Fact-based, credible journalism need of hour: Minister Gurung
Kathmandu, Aug 13: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has said journalism based on facts and value help journalists earn impartiality, credibility and accountability.
Addressing the 26th anniversary function of the Federation of Nepali Indigenous Journalists (FoNIJ) in the federal capital on Tuesday, Minister Gurung said the journalism done by the indigenous community had contributed significantly in media sector.
On the occasion, Minister for Youths and Sports, Teju Lal Chaudhari, stressed that FoNIJ could launch a thorough campaign through journalism so that the rights of indigenous people could be heard and addressed properly. Journalist can even influence policy making, he reminded.
FoNIJ Chair Lakki Chaudhari vowed the organization was committed to forwarding issues of indigenous people in a vibrant manner. The journalists from indigenous community would further increase its visibility through training, seminar, research and participation in the international forum.
On the occasion, journalists from indigenous community were honoured with cash prizes.
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05- ‘Elephant essential part of ecological conservation’
Chitwan, Aug 13: The stakeholders have stressed the need for protecting elephant reasoning that it helps in conserving ecology.
During a programme organized on the occasion of the 14th International Elephant Day in Sauraha on Tuesday, the speakers said ecological conservation was meaningless in absence of protection of elephant.
Chief of Chitwan National Park, Ganesh Panta, argued once the pachyderm is protected, the forest and other wild animals are also protected. “Elephant is an intelligent animal, deserves care,” he underlined.
Senior veterinarian Dr Bijay Kumar Shrestha said all sides concerned could extend support for creating atmosphere favourable to elephant. “There is a tremendous role elephant can play in wildlife protection,” he reminded.
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06- Govt awarding bantamweight Rabindra Dhant with Rs 500 thousand
Kathmandu, Aug 13: The government has decided to honour bantamweight champion Rabindra Dhant from Bajhang district with Rs 500 thousand cash prize. Dhant had defeated his rival in the Matrix Fight Night held in India recently.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday took a decision on it. Information on it was shared by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli through his social media post.
Similarly, even the coach of Rabindra Dhant would be provided a cash prize of Rs 200 thousand.
Last Saturday, Rabindra had defeated Indian champion Chungreng Koren in the wrestling.
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07- Dr Rokaya named KAHS Vice Chancellor
Karnali, Aug 13: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has appointed associate professor Dr Pujan Kumar Rokaya as the Vice Chancellor of the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences.
Dr Rokaya from Chandannath municipality-4 of Jumla has been engaging in teaching for over a decade at KAHS. He is an orthopedic doctor.
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08- Probe committee formed on death of inmate during treatment
Birgunj, Aug 13: The District Administration Office, Parsa has formed an investigation committee to probe on death of an inmate while receiving treatment. Inmate Rahul Sah Tarah died while being treated at Narayani Hospital on Tuesday.
A meeting of the stakeholders held under chairmanship of Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal formed a probe panel under the coordination of Assistant Chief District Officer, Babulal Regmi, giving 15-day time to conduct investigation and submit report.
The members in the probe team include Deputy Superintendent and Information Officer at District Police Office, Kishor Lamsal, people’s representative Jagdish Sah Turah, brother of the dead one Makesh Sah Turah, human rights activist Man Kumari Lama, FNJ Chairperson in district Om Prakash Khanal, and a representative from Nepal Medical Association.
The meeting also decided to forward other legal procedures, including postmortem of the dead body.
Turah had been serving a jail term for three years on a murder case at Birgunj prison.
Prison chief Khimraj Bhusal informed that Turah was taken to the Narayani Hospital for treatment after he complained of severe chest pain early Tuesday morning. However, the relatives of the dead one have accused the Chief District Officer of not allowing Hospital to refer Turah to better health facility.
Following the inmate’s death, his relatives had protested by burning tires at the hospital gate.
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PM Oli to address HoR meeting
Kathmandu, Aug 13: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to address the meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) this afternoon. The meeting of the HoR is to take place at 1:00 this afternoon.
PM’s media expert Ramsharan Bajgain stated that the PM would address the House about his recent foreign trip, achievements of the government and the contemporary issues.
Prime Minster Oli returned home on Friday after attending the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Turkmenistan.
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Zinger, turmeric from Karnali Province exported to Europe
Kakrebihar (Surkhet), Aug 13: A total of 365 metric tonnes of dried zinger and turmeric produced in the districts of the Karnali Province in the last fiscal year found its way to Europe, according to the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives in the Karnali Province.
Ministry’s Agricultural Development Officer Purna Bahadur Thapa shared that the locally grown high quality zinger and turmeric are processed and authenticated as per the internationals standards and are exported to various countries including Germany in Europe.
Zinger is being produced in Salyan, Rukum (Paschim) and eastern side of Surkhet while turmeric is being grown at Chinchu area in Surkhet district.
The Organic Valley collects these local produces from farmers and is exporting abroad, added Thapa.
Apart from zinger and turmeric, the company is engaged in export business of other organic goods such as corn flour, lentils, bean, and nettle leaf powder among others.
The Ministry stated that of the over Rs 18.47 billion allocated by the provincial government for the agriculture sector since the formation of the province, over Rs 14 billion was invested so far.
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High Court judges take oath
Kathmandu, Aug 13: Twenty-seven newly-appointed High Court judges took the oath of office and secrecy today.
The oath was administered by High Court Patan Chief Judge Lal Bahadur Kunwar during a ceremony held at the Supreme Court in the presence of Chief Justice (CJ) of Supreme Court Prakashman Singh Raut.
The Judicial Council meeting on August 7 had decided to appoint the 27 judges and assign them to various High Court and its benches across the country.
The newly-appointed 27 judges deputed in the High Court include Yam Bahadur Budhamagar (for High Court Surkhet), Gopal Prasad Bastola (High Court Patan), Giriraj Gautam (High Court Dipayal), Yubraj Gautam (High Court Biratnagar), Tej Narayan Poudel (High Court Tulasipur), Prakash Dhungana (High Court Patan), Deepak Kumar Kharel (High Court Patan), Kamal Prasad Pokharel (High Court Janakpur), Shiva Bahadur Ranabhat (High Court Patan), Basudev Neupane (High Court Patan), Dal Bahadur KC (High Court Tulasipur), Prakash Chandra Adhikari (High Court Dipayal)), Ramesh Prasad Gyawali (High Court Patan), Uday Prasad Bhattarai (High Court Biratnagar) and Awani Mainali Bhattarai (High Court Patan).
Similarly, the other appointees include Khadga Raj Adhikari (High Court Dipayal), Shankar Khatri (High Court Janakpur), Achyut Kuinkel (High Court Patan), Komal Bahadur Khatri (High Court Surkhet), Sharmila Bista (High Court Patan), Pratap Singh Thakurathi (High Court Tulasipur), Bal Krishna Gaire (High Court Pokhara), Nisha Baniya (High Court Tulasipur), Shyam Kumar Bishwokarma (High Court Dipayal) and Arun Kumat Panjiyar (High Court Biratnagar).
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Kaligandaki corridor obstructed in Baglung
Baglung, Aug 13: The Kaligandaki corridor is disrupted in Baglung district due to a landslide in Baglung Municipality. Traffic along the route is blocked following a massive landslide at Baglung Municipality-13. The corridor was resumed for vehicular movement on Tuesday afternoon after the five-day-disruption there.
Police Inspector Keshav Thapa shared that the traffic was halted from 9:00 this morning, leading to disconnection in road network towards the southern areas of Baglung.
Heavy rainfall occurring in the area has caused difficulties to clear the debris and resume the vehicles, Police Inspector Thapa said.
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Monsoon hazards obstruct Kaligandaki Corridor, Ridi-Bamitaksar Road
Gulmi, August 12: The Kaligandaki Corridor has been completely obstructed due to a landslide triggered by continuous rainfall in Gulmi district too. The landslide, which brought down large rocks, has blocked the road at Rakse in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-2, according to the District Police Office, Gulmi.
Vehicular movement on both sides has come to a standstill, leaving passengers and vehicles stranded. Efforts to clear the landslide depositions have remained hindered as rainfall continues, said Ganga Bahadur Saru, the Information Officer at the District Police Office.
In a related incident, the Ridi-Bamitaksar road, another major travel route in the district, has also been obstructed. The flooded Dahare stream at Satyawati Rural Municipality-6 has made the road impassable, preventing the movement to Butwal via Ridi and from Ridi to Burtibang in Baglung.
Just last week, the Dahare River swept away a car. Security personnel have been deployed by the District Police Office to assist in restoring road connectivity, it is said.
Meanwhile, the District Administration Office has urged residents in low-lying areas to take precautions against rising water levels in the Badigad Stream and the Kaligandaki River.
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Two persons found dead in septic tank
Dharan (Sunsari), Aug 13: The dead bodies of two people were found inside a septic tank of an under-construction house at Duhabi Municipality-4 in Sunsari district today morning.
The dead bodies were identified as Shyam Bahadur Tamang, 50, of Duhabi-2 and 32-year-old Ramesh Rai, according to District Police Office, Sunsari.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yograj Khatiwada shared that Tamang was the contractor while Rai worked as a labourer in the under-construction house of Chandria Rauniyar at Shiva Mandir Chowk of Duhabi-4.
The local residents informed the police after they spotted the dead bodies inside the septic tank at around 10:00 AM today.
DSP Khatiwada informed that a forensic team from the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences has already reached the accident site for forensic examination.
He added that further investigations into the mysterious death surrounding the contractor and the labourer were underway as the causes of the death could not be ascertained immediately.
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HoR Member Chaudhary urges for recognition of Tharu language
Kathmandu, Aug 13: In today’s House of Representatives (HoR) meeting, lawmaker Ashok Kumar Chaudhary has expressed his serious concerns to the disregard of the Tharu language by the Koshi Province Government.
Lawmaker Chaudhary said that failure to include the Tharu language along with the Maithili and Limbu languages as the languages for official use was the disregard of the Tharu language adding that 4.22 per cent people in the Koshi Province use Tharu language as their mother language. He also asked the province government to correct the decision.
Likewise, lawmaker Chaudhary raised the issue of scandal of Litchi garden from Pokhara and sought the resignation of Minister for Land Management from the post on moral grounds.
In his address, Chaudhary stressed the formation of a high-level judicial probe committee or a parliamentary committee to probe the alleged visit visa issue.
Also speaking, Dipak Bahadur Singh of Rastriya Prajatantra Party also called for the formation of the high-level judicial probe committee to probe the alleged visit visa issue.
The lawmakers of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and RPP boycotted the HoR meeting immediately after the deliberations from Chaudhary and Singh.
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Badi community living as refugees after inundation
Lamki (Kailali), Aug 13: The Badi community residing in Balchaur of Lamki Chuha Municipality-3, Kailali, has been rendered almost homeless after their settlement was submerged by continuous monsoon rains. Dozens of families are now taking refuge with relatives and neighbors, struggling for basic survival.
The settlement, which comprises 71 houses, was built for landless Badi families who had migrated from various districts in Sudurpashchim, Karnali, and Lumbini provinces since 2064 BS. However, with 12 homes now completely underwater and others partially submerged, the situation has turned dire.
Rima Devi Badi, 33, said her family has been unable to cook or stay inside her wooden home since it flooded. “The water entered our house, and now snakes roam around. We’re terrified,” she said. Rima, a daily wage earner, lost her husband in a canal accident months ago and is now raising three children alone. “It’s hard to even go to work after the inundation. We have nothing left.”
Another local, Shanti Badi said, “Water is filled our kitchen and surroundings. We can’t cook, and we have no proper toilets. Our small children are at constant risk of drowning in the water.”
The Badi people here said none either from the state or other sides are approaching them for help in this crisis. Though the houses were being built under the government’s initiative, a lack of proper drainage systems keeps the highly vulnerable to inundation.
“We lost everything including food, clothes, and whatever little we had,” said Arjun Badi. “We survive on daily wages, and now we can’t even go to work. We are struggling to manage two square of meals for the families. Our children are living in misery.”
Flooding has become a recurring issue in the settlement that lies near the East-West Highway. Over the past year alone, four people including two children drowned in the nearby canal under the Ranijamara-Kuriya Irrigation Project.
The residents are now urging the government to take immediate action to prevent further loss and suffering. “We were promised safe housing,” one resident said. “But the settlement is not safe.”
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