- Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Kathmandu, Jan 9: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has blamed the systemic problems for a slow progress in infrastructures development.
Only giving direction, blaming employees and threatening contractor is not solution, he said, adding that appropriate model of planning is required for which he had prepared the a clear draft.
In a video message given on social media today, President Thapa, who is also the candidate from Sarlahi constituency-4 for the upcoming House of Representatives election, reminded that even the national pride projects like Narayangadh-Butwal roadway, East-West Highway, and Melamchi Drinking Water Project faced severe hurdles, exposing traditional work style.
Sheer lack of coordination has left mega projects in limbo. “It is indeed a wretched condition,” he commented. The NC President further said we are losing a valuable time with such pending projects. “I’ve closely observed the problems at different layers- from parliament to parliament committee to ministry,” he shared, underscoring the need of identifying root causes and resolving these.
According to him, three dozens of laws need revisions- some new bills are required. He reminded that Road Act is 48-year-old while the Public Procurement Act is 20-year-old, resulting in snail-paced construction works. The cost-benefit analyses are imperative rather than discretionary rights, Thapa said.
The field of infrastructure requires good governance- transparency and social auditing, while strong oversight is equally significant. President Thapa floated the idea of monetization of public property and hybrid annuity model (HAM) for the infrastructure sector, and institutional and legal reform for good governance.
The NC President, however, said it is not magic to usher in development. “I assure you that I’ll work in a way to transform the infrastructure sector in coming five years,” Thapa announced.
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06- 75 licensed weapons handed over to police in Banke
Nepalgunj, Feb 9: Seventy-five licensed weapons have been handed over to police in Banke district.
Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Banke, Deepak Patali, said the licensed weapons were handed over to the police posts and offices in different places.
The District Administration Office, Banke, had urged everyone concerned to handover the licensed weapons targeting the security for the upcoming election to the House of Representatives scheduled for March 5. The licensed weapons will, however, be returned after the conduct of election.
Meanwhile, preparation is afoot to impart voter education in villages. Election Officer of Banke, Tek Bahadur Shahi, shared that circular was issued for mobilization of volunteers at local levels for the voter education. Total 81 volunteers- one in each ward- would be fanned out for this purpose.
The officer-level employees would be assigned as contact persons for voter education after imparting training to them. Banke with three constituencies has total 350,371 voters, according to the District Election Office, Banke. There are 139 voting centres and 400 polling stations in the district.
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07- Election as per NCP’s demand: Coordinator Dahal
Kathmandu, Feb 9: Coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party and former Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that fresh election was also the demand of his party as it was reformed in line with the spirit of Gen Z movement.
“We have constituted the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) by incorporating a total of 26 big and small parties with a vision of uniting the entire communist forces within the country,” he said while welcoming entrants to the party amidst a programme organised by the NCP Kathmandu constituency-5 today.
He utilised the time to say that in the name of populism on cyber space, democracy is being attacked. NCP candidate from Kathmandu-5, Kalpana Sharma, said political course has changed in the country in the aftermath of Gen Z movement, underlining the need for party’s victory to what she claimed institutionalize such change.
On the occasion, Dahal welcomed senior athlete Renuka Shrestha and others in the party.
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09- Political candidates busy at wooing voters in Makawanpur-2
Bagamati, Feb 9: As the date for voting under the House of Representatives election is approaching nearer, the candidates from different political parties in Makawanpur constituency-2 are doing their best to win the voters’ trust.
The candidates- 16 from political parties and five independent ones- are trying to secure voters’ trust in their favours. Entry of new political forces has made the election more interesting than in the past.
The candidates are Buddha Lama (Nepali Congress ), Mahesh Kumar Bartaula ( CPN-UML), Ram Bahadur Thokari (Rastriya Prajatantra Party), Prashant Upreti (Rastriya Swatantra Party), Santosh Bista (Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party), Unesh Lama Sintan (Shram Sanskriti Party), Dr Prabeen Kumar Syangtan (Ujjayalo Nepal Party), Saroj Tamang (Nepal Workers and Peasants Party), Ram Ghalan (Nepali Communist Party), Chhabilal Waiba (Janata Samajbadi Party) and Hiralal Syangtan (Mangol National Organistion), Shubha Raj Praja (Samyukta Nagarik Party) are contesting the elections.
These political have not fielded any female candidates in the direct election, suggesting the trend that women are preferred under the proportional representation and not given opportunity to contest in the direct elections.
Only Pratiksha Baniya, from an independent category, is the female candidate for the election. Other independent candidates include Krishna Ram Shrestha, Ramesh Acharya and Amrit Bal.Among the candidates, UML’s Ghartuala had won the previous 2022 election from here while Thokar is testing his trust second time and Lama serves as the NC Makawanpur candidate.
Now candidates are seen reaching the voters’ doorsteps with their agenda. The constituency comprises four wards of the Hetauda Sub metropolis, Thaha municipality, Raksirang rural municipality, Kailash rural municipality, Indra Sarobar rural municipality, Manahari rural municipality, Bheemfedi rural municipality and two wards of the Makawanpur rural municipality.
It has total 74,566 female voters and 82,333 male voters with 105 voting stations and 196 polling centres. The constituency also includes the geographically remote area with indigenous Chhepang and Tamang community-majority.
Candidates from the old parties are at work to retain the party legacy while new political parties are hopeful of breaching the trend with their wins. The candidates of NC, UML, NCP and RPP said voters will judge them from their past deliveries, development initiatives, their familiarities with voters, internalization of the locals needs, efforts to promote development, good governance and transparency, and integrity they maintained, while RSP candidate said that voters this time are searching for a new face, mind and thought.
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10- 36 candidates including medical doctor and pilot contesting in Rupandehi-3
Devdaha (Rupandehi), Feb 9: Thirty-six candidates including a senior neurologist and a senior pilot are competing in Rupandehi constituency-3 for the election to the House of Representatives scheduled for March 5.
Nineteen candidates are from various political parties and 17 the independent ones. Chief Returning Officer Ashok Kumar Basnet said election symbols were already conferred on 36 candidates for election purpose.
Basudev Ghimire from the CPN (UML), Sushil Gurung from the Nepali Congress and Faij Ahmed Kha from the Nepali Communist Party have filed their candidacies from Rupandehi-3.
Ghimire was elected to HoR member from Rupandehi-5 in 2079 BS while Gurung was former President of the Free Student Union of Bhairahawa Multiple Campus.
Similarly, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has fielded a senior neurologist Dr Lekh Jung Thapa as its candidate in the constituency. Likewise, Captain Gaurav Bohara is the candidate from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). Gaurav is a senior pilot and the son of late Deepak Bohara.
Shreeniwas Yadav from the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, Bishal Gupta from the Janamat Party, Sugrim Chai from the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Badre Alam Musalman from the Rastriya Janamorcha, Govindra Prasad Karakheti from the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party, Kulbir Gharti Magar from the Mangol National Organisation, Raju Gaudel from the Nepal Communist Party (United), Mohan Thapa from the National Republic Nepal are other candidates here.
Anjana Chaudhary Thapa, Karam Hussein Khan, Gopal Bhandari, Tejindra Malla, Bishnu Bahadur Rana, Mahendra Yadav are some of the independent candidates in the fray. Rupandehi -3 has 140,035 voters including 71,258 men, 68,775 women and two others. It has 46 voting centres and 157 polling booths. Rupandehi district has total five constituencies.
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11- Discussion with Minister on Nepal-Qatar economic cooperation
Kathmandu, Feb 9: A discussion has been held on promotion of Nepal-Qatar economic development and tourism. The exchanges of cooperation also featured during the discussion.
Such discussion was held among Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Anil Kumar Sinha, Qatari Ambassador to Nepal, Mishal M. Al Ansari, and FNCCI President Chandra Prasad Dhakal. Together in the discussion were Qatari leaders representing the business community and the representatives of the Qatar Airways.
Even the issues of extension of flight and civil aviation were discussed in the meeting. They dwelt on potential of deepening cooperation between the Nepal Airlines and the Qatar Airways with additional destinations.
On the occasion, Minister Sinha reminded that international airlines need to be further active to run the Pokhara International Airport and the Gautam Buddha International Airport of Nepal in full capacity. He also sought Qatar Airways’ cooperation to this regard. Government ensures policy level reform and facilitation for it, the Minister assured.
FNCCI President Dhakal viewed Nepal and Qatar could work in the sector of tourism, investment, aviation, hotel and infrastructures. He reminded the Qatari businesspersons to invest in agriculture, hydropower and service sector in Nepal.
A Board Member of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed interest in Nepal’s aviation and tourism fields for trade promotion and people-to-people relations between the two countries.
The Qatari business team arrived in Nepal at the invitation of Nepal-Qatar Joint Enterprise Council on Sunday.
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12- HoR polls: 12.25 million ballot papers printed for FPTP category
Kathmandu, Feb 9: A total of 12.25 million ballot papers have been printed so far for the first-past-the-post (FPTP) category of the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5. The printed ballot papers are for 100 electoral constituencies of 44 districts, according to the Election Commission.
As EC Assistant Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC said the printed ballots papers are for Dolpa, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot, Humla, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Rukum West, Salyan, Surkhet, Bajura, Achham, Bajhang, Doti, Dadeldhura, Darchula, Baitadi, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Panchthar, Ilam, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Sunsari, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Khotang, Dhankuta, Baglung, Gulmi, Jhapa, Gorakha, Myagdi, Parbat, Bardghat Susta East (Nawalparasi), Morang, Udaypur, Mustang, Lamjung, Syangja and Bardiya.
These ballots papers have already been packed and packed boxes number 10,759. The printing is continuous since the morning of January 30.
It is said the EC requires printing over 20 million (total 20,323,000) ballot papers for the HoR direct election. The printing of ballot papers is underway at the Janak Education Materials Centre, Sanothimi since January 6. In the first phase, over a million (total 1,098,200) sample ballot papers were printed and distributed to various districts.
Meanwhile, under the proportional representation of the electoral system, over 20 million (total 20,830,000) ballot papers have been printed, packed and verified. They are now readied for the dispatch.
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13- Brigade of Gurkhas submits annual report before President Paudel
Kathmandu, Feb 9: The British Army Brigade of Gurkhas has submitted an annual report before President Ramchandra Paudel at the latter’s office today.
A team comprising Major General Gerald M Strickland CB DSO MBE, Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas (BG) presented the annual report of The Brigade of Gurkhas to the President Paudel.
On the occasion, President Paudel shared that Nepal and the United Kingdom have been collaborating on the issues related to development, human welfare and peace. Both countries have been sharing the same view on establishment of world peace through UN peacekeepers.
Stating that Nepal and the UK have been enjoying intimate relations for centuries, he thanked the UK, one of the important development partners, for its continuous support in Nepal’s development. President Paudel expressed happiness that British Gurkhas helped in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. The presence of Nepalis in the UK further bolstered people-to-people relations, according to President Paudel’s Personal Secretariat.
Discussion at diplomatic level was underway to address some genuine complaints of ex-British Gurkhas, added the President, stating that it would be appropriate to settle such complaints soon through the medium of bilateral mechanism.
Extending gratitude to the UK government for submitting the annual report of British Army Brigade of Gurkhas, 2025, he argued that bodies concerned would carry out necessary study on the report.
Similarly, Major General Gerald M Strickland of British Army praised the British Gurkha Army, saying they were always at the forefront and people of the UK always showed love and respect to them.
British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn, Colonel Dan Rex MVO, Defence Attache’ / Commander British Gurkhas Nepal, Colonel David Robinson, Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas and Major Ashok Gurung, Assistant Military Attache’ were present on the occasion.
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14- Province’s Health Minister arrives at Diplung to take stock of mass illness
Khotang, Feb 9: A team including Koshi Province government’s Health Minister Man Bahadur Limbu and medical experts arrived at Jantedhunga rural municipality–6 in Khotang to take stock of the mass illness. Those who attended a marriage feast in the district fell sick en masse.
Even the bride and groom were affected. They developed symptoms such as fever, seizures, diarrhea and vomiting after 12 hours of the feast they relished. The team arrived in Diplung. Although a health camp had been established at the private residence of Ram Kumar Rai in Diplung, the province government team was summoned fearing increased pressure from patients, said Chief of the Health Office, Khotang, Kul Bahadur Paudel.
Medical experts Dr Ramhari Regmi and Dr Santosh Rai are heading separate teams and will remain in Diplung to provide treatment to the patients for the next few days. Paudel said they hope the situation will return normal within a few days. Health professionals have suspected food poisoning among those who attended the wedding reception on February 4.
According to Rural municipality Chair Aruna Devi Rai, reports are that guests who had come from Udayapur, Dharan, and Kathmandu also fell ill after returning to their respective places.
It is estimated that over 350 people attend the party. Presently, 60 patients have been admitted to the health camp set up by the local government. Some patients are revisiting the camp with recurring symptoms, such as stomach pain and loose motion.
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15- NA retracts bill on social network use
Kathmandu, Feb 9: The National Assembly (NA) has unanimously passed a decision to withdraw a bill on social networks use and management.
NA Chairman Narayan Dahal presented the bill for decision and later informed that it was withdrawn unanimously. Chairperson of the Legislation Management Committee, Tulasa Kumari Dahal, had earlier presented the Committee report on the bill in the NA meeting.
As many as 155 amendment proposals were filed by 35 NA members during the Committee meeting. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, on February 3, had decided to withdraw the bill and requested the parliament for it.
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16- Parliament dissolution hinders law making: Law Minister Sinha
Kathmandu, Feb 9: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Anil Kumar Sinha, has said the enactment of laws demanded by the Constitution 2015 has remained as the top priority of the government.
During his address to the concern from Madan Kumari Shah (Garima) in a meeting of the National Assembly (NA), the Minister said efforts were underway to ensure reforms in law as per the Constitution and federal system.
Since the promulgation of the Constitution in 2015, 146 separate acts have been brought, he claimed as the significant legal achievement. The Minister added that an Act relating to 16 fundamental rights in the Constitution were issued on September 18, 2018.
Talking about the present status of bills, he said, 30 bills turned inactive due to the dissolution of parliament in September 2025. He went on to say that though a priority list of 121 bills was tabled in the federal parliament on July 16, 2025 after the promulgation of the Legislative Act a year back, drafting of the bills remained hampered due to the parliamentary dissolution.
The Legislative Act has set the deadline till upcoming March 16 for the registration of directives, procedures and regulations. According to Minister Sinha, if these requirements are not met in the deadline, situation may arise, requiring those delegated legislation to be rewritten. As he said, Ministry is making preparations towards that end.
Towards the federal-level, 355 Acts, 325 regulations, 66 formation orders, 134 directives, and 250 procedures were formulated, the Minister said.
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17- Selection of development projects under political influence wrong: NA members
Kathmandu, Feb 9: National Assembly members have shared the experience that the development projects were selected under the political influence and access, which they argued, was a wrong practice.
The NA members, whose term in NA is going to expire, briefed today’s meeting about activities they carried out and experiences they had during their term.
On the occasion, Sharada Devi Bhatta of the CPN (UML) said that the NA meetings were systematic and dignified in many ways, adding she was very excited after her election to the NA member, she felt something different while entering the NA.
She, however, shared her bitter experience that projects on development construction were selected on the basis of political access and influence. Bhatta suggested allocating budget based on needs and in line with directives of the Economic Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
Similarly, Taraman Swar of the Nepali Communist Party opined that the government should be accountable towards the NA, drawing the attention of the government for implementation of laws. Swar viewed that the NA has been developed as the place to house elderly persons, suggesting that it was necessary to appoint law officer to study and research the reports of every committee of the NA.
He mentioned that he got opportunity to work as the member of Legislation Committee for six years. Saying some degree of dissatisfaction was experienced for lack of development of economic system in the country, Swar added these six years were important lessons for him.
Another member Sumitra BC of the CPN (UML) informed that she actively participated in many projects and resolution motions. BC further said she felt disappointed for non-implementation of some issues.
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