- Saturday, 25 July 2026
Janakpurdham, July 25: Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment, Geeta Chaudhary, has announced that an integrated agriculture programme will soon roll out in 10 municipalities across Madhes province.
During a high-level meeting focused on enhancing coordination between the federal and provinces, she highlighted that these municipalities will serve as a model for prioritizing agricultural research, technology transfer, and organic farming, all aimed at delivering direct support to farmers.
Minister Chaudhary stressed that the initiative is based on recommendations from the provincial government and underscored the importance of focusing on implementation rather than just policy formation. She committed to launching this integrated model agriculture programme in at least 10 municipalities in the first phase.
The programme will place a strong emphasis on increasing agricultural output, providing technical services, training, and facilitating technology transfer. Minister Chaudhary reiterated the government’s dedication to fostering a sustainable agricultural system that maintains soil fertility through organic practices.
She also pointed out the necessity for effective coordination, resource mobilization, and collaborative planning among federal, province, and local levels to ensure the sustainable development of agriculture, forestry, and environment. She further assured that the federal government would prioritize addressing the suggestions put forth by the province government.
During the meeting, Madhes Province Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav also shared his insights on the provincial government’s role in this initiative.
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12- Janlokpal Commission adjudicates 15 cases in FY 82/83
Janakpurdham, July 25: The Janlokpal Commission in Madhesh Province has adjudicated 15 cases in the last fiscal year 2082/83.
Of the 51 complaints it received related to irregularities and corruption in the last fiscal year, 15 were decided upon, said the Commission’s Information Officer Prasanna Raj Karna. After studying and investigating the complaints registered here, 15 have been decided and sent to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Central Office, Tangal, Kathmandu for further action on the cases.
In the previous fiscal year 2081/82, the Commission had registered 56 complaints, and 10 of them were decided and sent to the CIAA in Kathmandu for necessary action.
Most complaints received at the Commission are related to corruption, illegal acquisition of property, and administrative irregularities in local and provincial government bodies.
Although complaints related to irregularities and corruption are increasing every year there are problems in studying and investigating the complaints due to lack of physical infrastructure for the office, shortage of human resources including security personnel, etc., according to Commission Chair Ramsaharaya Yadav.
“The commission has position for 33 employees but currently only 15, including the office chief, are working,” said Commission Chair Yadav. Despite writing to the provincial government several times to send staff, there has been no response so far. “We need legal staff to investigate the issue, and police to conduct raids,” said Yadav. “Right now, we lack staff and police who have expertise in law. That is why it is difficult to work.”
Chaired by Yadav the Commission is made of members Sujata Bimal and Sanjeev Jha.
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13- Child dies in landslide in Mugu
Karnali, July 25: A child has died after being buried in a landslide with rocks that took place in Pulu Bazaar, Rural Municipality-5, Karmarong, Mugu.
Ramesh Baduwal, the three-year-old son of Jagannath Baduwal,32, a resident of Tirpa, Rara Chhayanath Municipality-13 has died in the incident that took place this morning, said District Police Chief in Mugu Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rabiraj Thapaliya.
Ramesh was rescued by a team of police from Police Post in Dolpu with the help of locals but he died during treatment at the nearby health post.
Jagannath and his wife Sirjana Baduwal have suffered minor injuries in the landslides. They were hit by the landslide in an eatery they were running in the house owned by Pema Lama in Pulu Bazaar. It is a seven-hour walk from the Mugu district headquarters to Pulu.
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14- Irrigation Office Chief and Officer arrested with bribe money
Janakpurdham, July 25: Chief of the Underground Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division Office in Karmaiya, Sarlahi and Mechanical Officer were arrested along with the bribe money they had taken from service recipients.
A team of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arrested Chief of the Office Anupama Dhakal and Mechanical Officer Tulakant Chaudhary along with the bribe money.
According to Prakash Pokharel, Information Officer of the CIAA in Bardibas, based on a tip-off, a raid was conducted at the residence of the Division Chief located in Bagmati Municipality-12, Sarlahi, and Rs 750,000 was recovered from the sofa where Dhakal was sitting. An additional Rs 71,115 in cash, the source of which was not disclosed, was also recovered during the search.
Information Officer Pokharel said that the raid was conducted based on a complaint that Chief Dhakal had demanded bribes through Mechanical Officer Chaudhary to make payments after the completion of boring and motor installation work with various water user committees.
Further investigation is underway against the arrested Dhakal and Chaudhary.
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15- Education Secretary Paudel in Dhangadhi to hold talks with Dr Govinda KC
Kathmandu, July 25: Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports Chudamani Poudel reached Dhangadhi today to hold talks with Dr Govinda KC, who is staging a hunger strike at a Dharmashala in Dhangadhi, putting forth his five-point demands for reforms in the health care sector.
In a Facebook post a while ago, Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel stated that Secretary Poudel reached Dhangadhi to hold direct talks with Dr KC and resolve the issues through dialogue.
According to Minister Pokharel, Prime Minister’s Health Advisor Dr JP Agrawal and the Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Food Safety will also join the talks team in Dhangadhi on Sunday.
In his post, Education Minister Pokharel expressed the commitment to reaching a conclusion on this issue through dialogue at the earliest. Meanwhile, Dr KC was admitted to the Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi this afternoon after his health condition deteriorated. Dr KC is receiving treatment in the ICU of the hospital, Chief of Hospital Dr Hemraj Pandey said.
Dr KC was admitted to the hospital following coordination with the administration. Likewise, Minister for Health and Food Safety Nisha Mehta also inquired about the health condition of Dr KC and directed the Chief of the Seti Provincial Hospital to ensure effective management and coordination for Dr KC’s treatment.
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16- Karnali Province Chief Minister Kandel steps down
Karnali, July 25: The Chief Minister of Karnali Province, Yamlal Kandel, resigned today.
Addressing the Province Assembly meeting today, Chief Minister Kandel announced his resignation.
The Province Assembly meeting was summoned at 3:00 pm today to discuss the no confidence motion lodged against Chief Minister Kandel at the Province Assembly on July 16.
Before the voting on the motion, Chief Minister Kandel stepped down, paving the way for the formation of a new government in Karnali Province.
A total of 16 Province Assembly Members of the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Nepali Communist Party had lodged the no confidence motion against Kandel on July 16.
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17- UML, NCP to run coalition govt. in five provinces
Kathmandu, July 25: The CPN (UML) and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) have signed a three-point deal today to collaborate in the province assemblies and run the coalition governments in the provinces.
It is said that the agreement was signed for political stability, good governance, prosperity, and to expedite the pace of provincial development.
The CPN (UML) will lead the province governments in Koshi, Bagmati and Lumbini provinces, while the CPN will get the leadership in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces, according to the agreement paper signed by CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli and NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
Likewise, other political parties in the province assemblies will be consulted for the formation of province governments in Madhesh and Gandaki provinces, and the leadership and participation modality will be fixed accordingly, Coordinator Prachanda’s Personal Secretary Govinda Acharya said.
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18- Taekwondo player Bhaibavi wins two medals in China
Kathmandu, July 25: Taekwondo player Bhaibavi Sapkota won two medals, including a gold medal, for the country in the Hainan Cup International Invitational Taekwondo Competition.
Sapkota won the gold medal under Poomsae and the silver medal under Kyorugi in the competition held at the Tunchang County Stadium in Hainan Province of China.
Sapkota won the gold medal by defeating players from Thailand and China in the Poomsae, while she missed the gold medal in the Kyorugi event against Thailand.
Players from South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and other countries participated in the tournament.
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19- Education Secretary begins informal talks with Dr Govinda KC
Sudurpaschim, July 25: Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports Chudamani Paudel said that talks for consensus with Dr Govinda KC have begun.
Secretary Paudel reached Dhangadhi today to hold talks with Dr Govinda KC, who is staging a hunger strike at a Dharmashala in Dhangadhi, putting forth his five-point demands for reforms in the health care sector.
Secretary Paudel met Dr KC at Seti Provincial Hospital where Dr KC is receiving treatment. Secretary Paudel held informal talks with Dr KC and his team members on Saturday and formal talks on the issues raised by Dr KC will be held on Sunday.
“Today, we held dialogues with Dr KC and his aides. We took stock of his health situation and concerns. Efforts will be made to reach a consensus after holding formal talks on Sunday following the arrival of Prime Minister’s Health Advisor Dr JP Agrawal and the Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Food Safety,” Secretary Paudel told the RSS.
He was of the view that the government would seek a dignified solution to the issues raised by Dr KC through talks and consensus. Dr KC was admitted to the Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi this afternoon after his health condition deteriorated.
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20- Speaker Aryal insists on Intangible Cultural Property (Protection) Bill to protect cultural heritages
Kathmandu, July 25: Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal has said that the Intangible Cultural Property (Protection) Bill- 2081 BS will provide a legal basis for the conservation, development, promotion, and transfer of intangible cultural heritages in the country.
During his address to the 44th Chhinnalata Song Award Distribution Ceremony, organised by the Chhinnalata Song Award Guthi here on Saturday, the Speaker expressed his hope that the Bill would help conserve, document, and promote the indigenous traditions, knowledge, skills, art, and cultural expressions of various castes, languages, religions, and communities.
He also made it clear that the Bill includes provisions for protecting the interests of the relevant communities while using cultural heritages for commercial purposes, and for legal action and penalties for violations of such provisions. The Bill is presently under discussion in the International Relations and Tourism Committee, House of Representatives. The Bill is expected to be significant in the conservation of endangered heritage, cultural identification, and strengthening of national unity, building of bases for listing of UNESCO, and the creation and promotion of industries and employment based on cultural tourism.
“It is a shared responsibility of both the State and society to create an atmosphere in which contributions of artists and creators are acknowledged,” he said, adding that “it is the need of the hour to instill an interest among new generations in the Nepali language, indigenous culture, music, and creations.”
“We must have commitments to formulating required policies and laying a legal foundation for the protection, promotion and development of Nepali art, literature and culture,” the Speaker said.
On the occasion, Speaker Aryal conferred the Awards on five personalities who include noted comedian Madan Krishna Shrestha, lyricist Dr Nawaraj Lamsal, music composer Kiran Kandel, and singers Bimala Rai and Sarika Ghimire.
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21- Woman’s body found inside burnt vehicle
Kathmandu, July 25: A woman’s body was recovered from inside a burnt car at Chundevi of Tarakeshwor Municipality-1 on Saturday.
According to the District Police Range, Kathmandu, the body has been identified as that of 45-year-old Rashmi Rijal of Tarakeshwor Municipality-9.
Range Chief Senior Superintendent of Police Dilip Ghimire said the victim’s family approached the police on Friday to report that she had gone missing after leaving home for work, but had not reached her office.
Her body was recovered from the back seat of the car. Most of the interior of the vehicle was burned. She might have died of asphyxiation. They said an investigation into the case is underway.
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy drowned in Godavari Municipality-4 in Kailai on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as Pushpa Raj Chaudhary of Joshipur Rural Municipality-2, who was currently residing in Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City-7. Though he was rescued alive and taken to Nisarga Hospital, doctors pronounced him dead during treatment, police said.
The body has been sent to the Seti Provincial Hospital, Dhangadhi for a post-mortem examination.
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22- Five including Shrestha receive Chhinnalata Awards
Kathmandu, July 25: The Chhinnalata Song Award, established in honor of senior lyricist Ramola Devi Shah ‘Chhinnalata’, was presented to five personalities, including senior comedian and singer Madan Krishna Shrestha.
Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal conferred the awards on them amid a ceremony held here on Saturday. The 44th Chhinnalata Song Award Ceremony was organized by Chhinnalata Song Award Guthi.
On the occasion, the ‘Chhinnalata Song Special Award’ for the year 2082 BS was presented to senior singer Shrestha. The award carries a purse of Rs 100,000.
Similarly, senior lyricist Dr Nawaraj Lamsal, music composer Kiran Kandel, and singer Bimala Rai were each presented with the ‘Chhinnalata Song Award’ carrying a purse of Rs 100,000 each. Singer Sarika Ghimire was conferred the ‘Chhinnalata Song Youth Talent Award’ which carries a purse of Rs 50,000.
According to Guthi Secretary and literature Dinesh Adhikari, the honors recognise the remarkable contributions made by the recipients to the field of Nepali music.
So far, 40 lyricists, 39 music composers, 41 singers, and 41 youth talents in the respective fields have received the awards since 2039 BS. The awards were presented on the 104th birth anniversary of Chhinnalata.
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23- Bagamati Province Ministry of Forests and Environment achieves 82 percent annual progress
Bagmati, July 25: The Ministry of Forests and Environment in the Bagmati Province has achieved 82 percent progress in a year.
According to the one-year progress report released by the Ministry , 73 percent progress has been recorded in current expenditures, and 86 percent progress in capital expenditure during the given time.
Similarly, the Ministry has tabled the Province Forest Act and the Environment Protection Bill in the Province Assembly. Likewise, under the Innovation, Research and Special Campaign, a Timur (Nepali peeper) Garden and a Fruit Forest Campaign have been launched in each district.
It has been reported that one farmer: five Bodhichitta trees, five Rudraksha campaigns, and Sunakhari (Orchid) Garden initiative have been implemented.
According to the annual progress report, various programmes, including promotion of forest-based enterprises (such as herbs, Shiitake mushroom production, leaf-based plates, mineral water, and ecotourism) have been implemented under the Green Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Employment Programme.
Furthermore, the promotion of private and communal forests, along with the expansion of multi-use species, including bamboo and cardamom, has been advanced.
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24- Rupandehi records higher number of economic offences, domestic violence
Kathmandu, July 25: Cases of organised and economic crimes, as well as domestic violence, are found to be higher in Rupandehi district.
According to police records from the past two months: Jeth and Asar (May 14- July 14), the district reported the highest number of oranised and economic crimes and domestic offences compared to other forms of offences.
In Jeth (May-June), 59 cases of organised and economic offences were recorded followed by 58 of the similar nature in the next month.
In Asar (June-July), six people: one Nepali and five Indian nationals were arrested by the Rupandehi Police on the charge of their alleged involvement in producing fake Nepali currency notes.
A machine used for printing fake Nepali notes of Rs 1,000 and fake notes worth Rs 592,000 were confiscated from them. Similarly, complaints filed by women and senior citizens are also noticeable in the district.
In the month of Jeth, 93 complaints of domestic violence were registered followed by 99 complaints in the next month. Likewise, complaints about disputes with neighbors are also noticeable.
According to the Rupandehi police, such complaints numbered 72 in the month of Jeth, while 63 in Asar. Additionally, a total of 182 incidents of offences were officially registered in Jeth followed by 176 in Asar.
In the meantime, 52 cases of social offences were recorded in Jeth, which they numbered 21 in the following month. The district police recorded a large number of murder-related complaints as they totaled 23 in Jeth and 35 in the following month.
The police arrested 243 people in Jeth, while 161 were arrested in Asar. According to Krishna Kumar Chand, Information Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, economic crimes including check bounce and online fraud have emerged as a challenge for the police.
He added that incidents of social and domestic violence are also common in rural areas of the district.
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