- Friday, 9 January 2026
Kathmandu, Jan 7: Chief of Madhes Province, Surendra Labh, and Prime Minister Sushila Karki held a meeting on Tuesday.
They reviewed the efforts made for peace, harmony and tolerance by addressing political and social aspects, according to PM Karki’s secretariat.
They also discussed the caution over potential challenges at a time when the country was prepared to hold election by creating a favourable atmosphere with the mobilization of all State mechanisms.
PM Karki appreciated the role played by Province Chief Labh to keep balance among various sides with his guardianship in province, which further needs cooperation.
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03- Former chief administrative officer at KMC Pariyar acquitted
Kathmandu, Jan 7: The Special Court has acquitted the employees including then Chief Administrative Officer at Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Pradeep Pariyar, on a case relating to sewerage construction.
A division bench comprising judges Narayan Prasad Paudel, Hemant Rawal and Umesh Koirala issued a verdict that all defendants- Pariyar, Rabin Man Shrestha, Shivaraj Adhikari, Basanta Acharya, Namaraj Dhakal, Uttam Dahal and Janardan Giri- had no involvement in the corruption, thereby deserving acquittal.
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a case against seven persons, including Pariyar, at Special Court, accusing them of financial irregularities over a contract relating to sewerage management from Bashundhara to Mhempi along Samakhusi corridor.
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04- Raute youths attend first aid training in Surkhet
Karnali, Jan 7: Youths from a nomadic community have attended a first aid training organized in Surkhet. Eight women and seven men from the Raute community took part in the training.
The Ministry of Social Development in Karnali Province informed that the Raute people live nomadic life in Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot and Salyan districts. The community in a population of 1,033 has lately witnessed a decline owing to changed lifestyle- especially food and culture.
They are currently living in a jungle of Lekbensi municipality-7 of Surkhet.
The health workers at Nepal Red Cross Society Surkhet chapter provided the attending Raute youths the basic skills of first aid along the practical exercise, according to Ram Lal Acharya, Surkhet chapter Chair of Nepal Red Cross.
The training is expected to make them aware about the injury and need of emergency health support before taking the injured ones to hospital.
Minister for Social Development, Ghanashyam Bhandari, inaugurated the training on Tuesday. He said it is a common responsibility of all to preserve the Raute community, which bears a special identity in Karnali Province. “The interest shown by Raute youths in health and treatment should be taken positively,” he observed, adding that this aboriginal group has a unique civilization, language and culture.
According to him, the province government was for socialization of the Raute people without hampering their original culture and civilization. The establishment of ‘Raute corridor’ and launch of ‘Raute policy’ were in the offing. While linking the Raute people to modern practices, their lifestyle bearing unique identity will not be infringed, he vowed.
At the programme, mayor of Gurans rural municipality, Top Bahadur BC, informed that the Raute people were provided identity cards and social security allowances. The local level had taken an initiative to facilitate the process to ensure citizenship certificates to the aboriginal tribe. The proposal to this regard had reached the district administration office.
Hira Singh Thapa, executive director at a non-governmental organization, Social Service Centre, informed that the Raute people were getting attracted to modern treatment, so the training on first aid would be beneficial to them.
The traditional household treatment was causing complication in the treatment of their health.
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05- 12 bridges being repaired along East-West Highway in Sudurpaschim Province
Kanchanpur, Jan 7: The Mahakali Bridge Project Office in Mahendranagar has forwarded the works to repair and retrofit a dozen of bridges along the East West Highway in Sudurpaschim Province.
The motorable bridges in the stretch of Chisapani of Kailali to Gaddachauki of Kanchanpur will be repaired. The bridges are over a dozen of rivers/streams, according to an engineer at Bridge Project Office, Rabi Sah.
The World Bank has provided a financial assistance to carry out the undertaking at a cost of Rs 19.2 million. “Repair of the bridges has been forwarded based on the categorization of condition rating,” he said, adding that safe and working infrastructures require periodic maintenance and safety strengthening.
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06- Minister Kharel meets RPP Chair Lingden
Lalitpur, Jan 7: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jagadish Kharel, met Chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rajendra Lingden, this morning.
The election issues including creation of favourable atmosphere and security figured during the meeting Minister Kharel had with RPP Chairman Lingden at the latter’s residence, Lubhu Lamatar in Lalitpur.
Minister Kharel later shared that RPP Chairman Lingden expressed his party’s full commitment to the House of Representatives (HoR) election.
As a spokesperson of the government, Minister Kharel had already met chiefs of the major political parties as part of government initiative to create an atmosphere conducive to the HoR election scheduled coming March 6.
The political parties have already submitted the closed lists for the proportional representation of the forthcoming HoR election.
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07- Local level closes schools to avoid severe cold in Kailali
Sudurpaschim, Jan 7: Gauriganga municipality of Kailali district has closed the schools for a week in a bid to avoid impact of severe cold to school children.
The cold wave coupled with declined temperature has badly affected the teaching and learning activities. So, the municipality office decided to close the schools for a week effective from tomorrow, the municipality office informed.
Thick fog and haze have blanketed the neighbourhood. The cold wave has further added woes to the people.
Earlier, Dhangadhi sub-metropolis and Gauriganga municipality had distributed firewood to locals to help them stay warm.
Although the hilly region in Sudurpaschim has a sunny weather, the southern plain has been blanketed with thick fog and haze for some days. It has also adversely affected the winter crops, the locals said. —
