- Monday, 20 April 2026
Kathmandu, Jan 10: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Anil Kumar Sinha, has called on the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to focus on improving its institutional development and service delivery.
Speaking at the corporation’s 56th anniversary celebration today, he urged the organization to strengthen its competitive edge. Minister Sinha pointed out that the corporation cannot rely solely on its monopoly in the import, storage, and sale of petroleum products for progress, emphasizing the need for the organization to showcase high levels of professionalism.
“We need to enhance institutional governance,” he stated, “and prioritize transparency while maintaining a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.” Dr. Ram Prasad Ghimire, Chairman of the Corporation Board of Directors and Secretary of the Ministry, stressed the importance of the corporation being efficient in its service delivery to meet contemporary demands.
Addressing the same event, Executive Director Chandika Prasad Bhatt assured that the corporation is dedicated to ensuring a steady supply of petroleum products across the nation.
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16- UML Chair Oli says UML never shies away from election
Kathmandu, Jan 10: Chairman of the CPN (UML), KP Sharma Oli, has emphasised that his party will never shy away from elections and stressed the need to ensure a fair, peaceful and fear-free environment for the same.
Addressing the second meeting of the party’s central committee, Chairman Oli stated that the government must succeed in creating an environment for the election to the House of Representatives members scheduled for March 5.
Oli said that the party is clear about going to elections in the country and expressed the view that UML is always prepared for it.
He added that the Central Committee meeting has called for the whole party line to always be ready for elections and to intensify the necessary preparations, stating the proportional list on behalf of the CPN (UML) has been submitted to the Election Commission on designated time.
He acknowledged that although there were many individuals eligible to become candidates in the party, who should be included and who could play a role, it was difficult to fully include all of them due to the set limit of 110 candidates, the inclusive cluster structure, and geographical balance.
The UML Chair emphasised that after the decision, the entire party line, along with the aspirants, should engage in the election campaign united, resolute, and with high morale.
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17- RSS reporter Bista honoured
Kathmandu, Jan 10: On the occasion of the Road Accident Reduction Special Campaign and Traffic Week 2082 BS, Bimal Bahadur Bista, a Kathmandu-based reporter for the National News Agency, was honored by Inspector General of Nepal Police, Dan Bahadur Karki.
At the programme held today, Inspector General Karki awarded Bista a certificate of appreciation for his significant contribution to raising traffic awareness, reporting on traffic police activities, and covering news related to public interest.
After receiving the felicitation, reporter Bista expressed a commitment to fulfilling more effectively the journalistic responsibility of serving as a bridge between the traffic police and the general public.
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18- 80 per cent households out of access to safe drinking water in Janakpurdham
Janakpurdham, Jan 10: As high as 80 per cent of the total households in Janakpurdham city lack access to safe drinking water due to poor distribution and supplies.
Water supply in the city is shortfall by 3.5 million litres each day resulting in limited access to water in Janakpurdham city.
The city has a demand for 25 million litre of water each day but the water supply is ensured only in 20 percent of the households from the Nepal Water Supply Corporation.
Chief of Office of the Corporation, Bishnu Dev Sah, said that the tap water was is supplied only in 5,000 households out of total 40,409 households as per the National Population and Housing Census 2021.
According to him, 40 per cent of the households enjoy partial access to water supply.
The number of the households in the city is also increasing of late.
The Nepal Water Supply Corporation is distributing water in Janakpurdham through the 34-year-old distribution system, which is broken and smashed in different locations.
The underground water collected from six deep boring facilities is distributed in the city by collecting in two overhead tanks at Ramananda Chowk in Janakapurdham, Sah shared.
Meanwhile, frequent disruption in power supply has added further woes to the water supply system in the city, the officials shared.
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19- Three bodies found in Tanahun in a single day
Damauli, Jan 10: Three dead bodies were found in different places of Shuklagandaki Municipality in Tanahun district today.
According to the Area Police Office, Belchautara, two bodies were found near the waste processing centre at Kaseri of Shuklagandaki Municipality-5 and one in the forest near Janakalyan Secondary School of the same ward.
According to Dhan Narayan Shrestha, Police Inspector at the Area Police Office, Belchautara, the bodies of two men and a woman were found near the waste processing centre.
Police said of the deceased three, identity of one has been ascertained. The identified one is Narayan BK, approximately 40 years old, from Ward 11, Shuklagandaki Municipality, Palpalichhap. BK is an employee of Green Road Pvt. Ltd., which has been entrusted with the operation of that processing centre.
However, the identity of the other two is yet to be ascertained and further investigation into the case is underway, police said.
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20- UML Central Committee meeting wraps up
Kathmandu, Jan 10: The second Central Committee meeting of the CPN (UML) has concluded today. The meeting, which took place today in Lalitpur, disclosed the financial details of the 11th National Congress.
Head of the Party’s Central Department of Publicity and Publication, Min Bahadur Shahi, said that the meeting ended with the approval of essential amendments to the party’s regulations. These amendments were based on changes made to the party statute during the second Statute Convention and the 11th National Congress, as well as on decisions from the Central Secretariat meeting. He noted that the total expenditure for the 11th National Congress was approximately Rs 80 million.
Shahi emphasized the importance of conducting elections in a fear-free environment. He also announced that the party has resolved to pursue the agenda of restoring parliament alongside the election. “As an effective environment for the election has not yet been established, we have decided to advance the agenda of parliament restoration and the election simultaneously,” he stated.
In his address to the meeting, Chairman Oli highlighted that the party’s 11th National Congress has introduced 31 percent new faces into leadership roles and mentioned that 34 percent of the leaders are under the age of 50.
Although the meeting was initially scheduled for three days, it was concluded today to facilitate election preparations.
Chairman KP Sharma Oli presented certificates to officials and central members elected from the party’s 11th National Congress.
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21- Twelve injured as two sides clash in Dhanusha
Dhanusha, Jan 10: Twelve people were injured in a clash occurred between two sides over an issue of public land in Mithila Rural Municipality-2, Dhanusha.
The clash erupted after the local people attempted to clear the site, which the community members claimed being encroached upon by Satlok Ashram (a site for sages).
According to Chief of District Police Office Rugam Bahadur Kunwar, all the injured people were rushed to the Provincial Hospital in Janakpurdham.
Most of the injured people including Sunil Pariyar, Bikram Pariyar and others have sustained head injuries in the clash.
Police Chief Kunwar said that police personnel lobbed six shells of tear gas to contain the situation after the agitators vandalized an ambulance coming out from the Ashram.
Meanwhile, the vehicular movement along the Dhalkebar-Janakpur section, which was disrupted following the clash, has now resumed.
The district police said that a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganesh Bahadur Bam is carrying out the investigations behind the clash and the reality of the public land plot and the Ashram.
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22- Former Minister of State Chandrakanta Chaudhary passes away
Rajbiraj (Saptari), Jan 10: Former MP and State Minister Chandrakant Chaudhary passed away today. Family sources stated that he passed away at his private residence in Dakneshwari Municipality-5, Saptari.
Gajendra Mandal, Deputy General Secretary of the Rastriya Mukti Party, informed that Chaudhary passed away at the age of 85. Chaudhary had been elected as a Member of Parliament from Saptari Constituency No. 3 in the 2074 BS parliamentary elections.
Elected from the then Rastriya Janata Party (RJP), he also became the State Minister for Energy, Irrigation and Water Resources. Recently, he was a member of the Executive Committee in the Rastriya Mukti Party. Chaudhary has two sons and two daughters.
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23- Ghising nominated as UNP new Chair
Kathmandu, Jan 10: The Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) central committee convened today and officially nominated Kulman Ghising as its new chairman. This decision follows the recent split from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), with today’s meeting confirming Ghising’s nomination.
After the meeting, Chairman Ghising addressed the media, declaring that the agreement with RSP has been terminated and that the party will now contest the House of Representatives elections under its own distinct party symbol.
He remarked, “There have been claims that our party was involved in negotiations for positions, but that is incorrect. Previously, I held a lower rank and served as vice-chairperson. The unity was fractured due to the absence of a supplementary agreement on critical issues like inclusivity and federalism.”
Chairman Ghising also announced his formal affiliation with the Ujyalo Nepal Party today. He stated, “The central committee meeting today has chosen me as the chairman. In the upcoming days, I will lead our electoral efforts as part of a comprehensive campaign across Nepal.”
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24- RSP says unification bid with Kulman Ghising’s party failed
Kathmandu, Jan 10: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) concluded on Saturday that the attempts taken for party unification with the Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) of Kulman Ghising failed after the latter’s proposal to change the name of RSP.
A secretariat meeting of the RSP held today after the failed attempts for the unification process concluded that Ghising’s back to back proposals foiled the unification bid, RSP leader Shishir Khanal said.
Khanal shared that Ghising had proposed a new name of the unified party, claimed the post of senior vice-president, sharing of the election constituencies and appointments be made for his leaders as the office-bearers of the unified party, among others.
The RSP claimed that the unification did not advance as the UNP proposed different and separate proposals than the agreement signed for collaboration.
Earlier, the two parties had signed a seven-point agreement deal for the unity.
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25- FNCCI President complains private sector has been target of every uprising
Devdaha (Rupandehi), Jan 10: President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Chandra Prasad Dhakal, said that the private sector has been targeted in every movement.
He asked why there is such negative thinking and understanding towards the private sector.
In the inaugural session of the 67th annual general meeting of Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) held in Bhairahawa today, FNCCI President Dhakal clarified that running a business is not only for the benefit of the entrepreneur but also for the general public. He stated that a business cannot sustain if it is not profitable.
Dhakal said, “Operating any industry or business should convey the message that it creates employment, contributes to state revenue to run the government, develops infrastructure, and provides services to the general public. The general public needs to be made aware of this.”
He stated that just as the Government of Nepal has declared schools as peace zones, the Federation has prioritised private sectors, industrial establishments, and factories as areas where strikes, arson, and vandalism are banned, and has provided an outline plan on this to the government. He expressed confidence that the current government’s cabinet will make a decision on this matter soon.
The FNCCI President questioned what the situation would have been like without the private sector, saying: “Annually the government agencies have employed three thousand five hundred to four thousand people, while the private sector is generating employment for 86 percent more.”
He stated that efforts will be made on his part to ensure the regular operation of the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa.
Dhakal emphasised that the FNCCI upcoming new leadership should be selected unanimously.
He said, “The Federation’s stature has grown in a short period, and my view is that a consensual leadership must be chosen to continue this; you too should take initiative for this.”
Deputy Mayor of Siddharthanagar Municipality, Uma Adhikari, said that the local government is working with the private sector. She expressed the view that there are opportunities as well as challenges with the open border.
FNCCI Vice President Hemraj Dhakal stated that ignoring the younger generation has caused problems in the country. He expressed the view that there are many opportunities in the country, so one can achieve significant results.
Krishna Prasad Sharma, FNCCI Lumbini Province President, stated that the private sector is seeking stability in the country. He emphasised that Gautam Buddha International Airport should operate regularly.
FNCCI Bagmati Province President Dilsundar Shrestha stated that the private sector has become disappointed due to the completed airport not being regularly operational.
Netra Prasad Acharya, President of the Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rupandehi, said the chamber, representing the private sector, has been demanding that political stability, economic prosperity, and development-oriented policies should be made the main agenda of the government and political parties.
At the programme, the SCCI’s senior vice-president Dilip Kumar Kandu, general secretary Krishna Prasad Ghimire and others expressed their respective views.
The secretary of the SCCI, Mangal Bhandari, stated that various individuals and organisations were honoured at the programme.
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26- One person arrested for threatening to shut down The British College
Kathmandu, Jan 10: Police have apprehended a suspect today for reportedly soliciting Rs 3 million under the pretext of starting a protest at The British College.
Bibek Dhakal, a 28-year-old resident of Chaurideurali Rural Municipality-4 in Kavrepalanchok, who is currently living in Jorpati, Kathmandu, faces these charges, police said.
According to Pawan Kumar Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Kathmandu District Police Office, the suspect is accused of demanding Rs 3 million from the College’s administration and allegedly threatening to shut down the institution if the funds were not provided.
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27- ‘Problematic Cooperative Management Committee failed to deliver as expected’
Kathmandu, Jan 10: Minister for Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation Kumar Ingnam has admitted that the Problematic Cooperative Management Committee failed to work in a speedy manner as expected.
During a meeting with the cooperative victims on Saturday, Minister Ingnam said that the Committee could not work as per the aspirations of the victims.
“The Committee has failed to work in a pace as per the aspirations of the victims. More than Rs 45 billion should be managed in 23 cooperatives. The Committee of seven members cannot work immediately for the management of such a huge amount,” Minister Ingnam added.
He shared that the Committee could not work due to lack of expertise despite enough rights.
The Committee should be proactive to record the statements and seize the properties from the embezzlers, the Minister said.
It is said that the Committee has management Rs 4.12 billion so far.
The number of victims is supposed to have more than 74,000 cooperative depositors.
During the meeting, the victims of the cooperatives urged the minister to resolve their problems at the best earliest possible time.
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28- I will contest poll from Rukum Purba, Coordinator Prachanda announces
Rukum Praschim, Jan 10: Coordinator of Nepali Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has announced to contest from Rukum Purba district in the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) polls scheduled for March 5.
Addressing a mass meeting at Musikot Municipality in Rukum Paschim on Saturday, the former Prime Minister said that his candidacy from Rukum Purba district for the upcoming HoR polls was almost certain.
He stated that he will frequently travel to both Rukum Purba and Rukum Paschim since the two districts share several commonalities.
“We had prepared for the People’s War from here (Rukum). The people and cadres in Rukum are still in our favor even at present,” Prachanda said.
On the occasion, he pledged to become focused on the development works and people’s priorities in Rukum.
Joint Coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party, Madhav Kumar Nepal, also expressed his opinions stating that his party has embarked a nationwide journey for socialism.
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