- Wednesday, 13 May 2026
Kathmandu, May 13: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dr Bikram Timilsina, has shared that the government has forwarded reform initiatives along with necessary study keeping telecom sector, media policy and communications sector in priority.
At a press meet organised at the Ministry today, Minister Dr Timilsina opined that though it was challenging to manage all sectors at a time in a short period, the government has been working on the basis of priority.
He mentioned that the government has focused its attention to improve the quality of telecom services, and making it competitive and systematic.
Stating that there is no situation of launching 5G service by discontinuing the 4G service immediately, the Communications Minister underlined that preparation was underway to make 4G service maximum effective for the time being and 5G service would be launched gradually.
He underlined that the government has put the issue of launching 5G service in the priority.
Minister Dr Timilsina argued that preparation for determining necessary frequency and distribution has been forwarded, adding the government has also been studying the issue of necessity of additional mobile operators to make the telecom service competitive.
Sharing that necessary process has been forwarded regarding the context of identifying a third mobile operator at the time when two companies have now been providing mobile services, he expressed the belief that this act would make telecom sector more effective and competitive.
The government has taken a policy of strengthening overall telecom system, the Communications Minister mentioned, adding the Ministry has been continuously holding discussions with Nepal Telecom and Nepal Telecom Authority to this connection and the government was ready to provide necessary support.
He underscored that the reform process has been forwarded by implementing the laws to resolve existing problems of telecom sector. Stating that the government was serious on billing system and service management related with Nepal Telecom, Minister Dr Timilsina viewed that solution would be found out remaining within existing laws and regulations keeping the transparency in centre.
Highlighting that both public investment and government responsibility are involved in Nepal Telecom, he emphasised the need to fulfil the necessary roles according to laws and regulations.
The Communications and Information Technology Minister stated that the government is also studying the development of ‘data centres’ and digital infrastructure in Nepal.
Stating that studies are underway regarding the interest of multinational companies, ‘digital feasibility’, and the potential to attract foreign investment, he informed that an ongoing study is exploring the possibility of developing Nepal as a regional ‘data centre hub’.
He stated that the government is committed to preventing the misuse of assets funded by the people’s taxes and systemic corruption, and that if information is received about wrongdoing by any agency, institution or employee, the relevant state mechanism will be activated. He also urged that the necessary information be made directly available for this purpose.
Communications Minister Timilsina expressed the view that independent and responsible journalism is essential to strengthen democracy. He pointed out that democracy cannot be strong without a robust media sector, stating the government is sensitive to the role of the media.
He believed that media outlets also need to focus on responsible and professional journalism to improve their image.
The Minister also stated that policy improvements will be made by studying advertising distribution, media sustainability, and issues concerning the interests of journalists.
The government has stated that it is coordinating through the ministry and relevant agencies to resolve issues related to media and news organisations concerning government advertisements.
The ministry has clarified that the advertisement distribution and selection process would be made transparent, and no decisions will be taken outside the prescribed procedures.
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HoR meeting: Lawmakers draw government’s attention on contemporary issues
Kathmandu, May 13: Nepali Congress lawmaker Nishcal Rai has urged the Speaker to ensure the presence of the Prime Minister in the Parliament.
In today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, lawmaker Rai asked Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal to call Prime Minister Balendra Shah in the House as the PM has remained absent in today’s discussions of policies and programmes unveiled by the government for coming fiscal year.
He said, “Call the Prime Minister to the House even issuing a ruling immediately.”
Similarly, Indira Ranamagar of the Rastriya Swatantra Party requested the government to support for the treatment of Dinesh Parajuli injured in elephant attack.
Drawing the attention of the government towards the bus accident in Arghakhanchi, Sagar Bhusal of the RSP asked the government to pay attention to road safety, vehicle monitoring and management as well as repair and maintenance of roads.
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14- Dr Pokharel appointed as Member Secretary of NTNC
Kathmandu, May 13: Dr Chiranjivi Prasad Pokharel has been appointed as the Member Secretary of the National Trust for Nature Conservation.
Minister for Forests and Environment and NTNC Chairperson, Geeta Chaudhary, has appointed him as the NTNC Member Secretary to be effective from May 12 until further arrangements are made.
Dr Pokharel, currently serving as the Senior Director of the NTNC, is a distinguished wildlife biologist, conservation planner and renowned tiger expert. He has more than 27 years of professional experience in the field of conservation.
The newly appointed Member Secretary expressed commitment to the NTNC objectives, vision and values, and firmly resolved to advance the institution towards higher achievements in the field of nature conservation.
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15- Lawmakers stress on maintaining parliamentary dignity
Kathmandu, May 13: Lawmakers in the National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, have stated that only by observing parliamentary decorum will the dignity of the parliament increase.
Speaking during the urgent session of the NA meeting today, they urged the government to respond to the questions raised regarding the joint sitting of the Federal Parliament.
MP Padam Bahadur Pariyar drew the attention of NA Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal, saying it would be suitable to advance the discussions on the government’s policies and programmes in the presence of the Prime Minister.
MPs Suresh Alemagar and Roshani Meche emphasised that parliamentary decorum must be observed by all sides.
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16- NA session: Government urged to seek long-term solution to landless squatters’ problem
Kathmandu, May 13: MPs in the National Assembly (NA) have drawn the government’s attention to controlling price increases, creating employment, and seeking long-term solutions to the problems of landless squatters.
During the ‘zero hour’ in the Federal Parliament’s upper house meeting, they also urged the government to pay attention to reducing incidents of caste discrimination and the operation of unhealthy industries.
MP Kamala Panta demanded the government’s response regarding the preparations for the reopening of the Gorakhkali Rubber Industry, which is considered a pride of the country.
MP Jayanti Rai drew the government’s attention to the proper management of the displaced landless people during the eviction process.
MP Durga Gurung urged the government to find a long-term solution to the problem of squatters while MP Nara Bahadur Bista drew the government’s attention to bringing a plan that ends the compulsion of Nepali youths going for foreign employment by creating employment opportunities within the country.
MP Narayandatt Mishra demanded the government’s commitment to protecting citizens’ rights and democracy.
MP Bhuvan Bahadur Sunar urged the government to take effective measures to control incidents of racial discrimination.
Similarly, Madan Kumari Shah (Garima) stated that no one should demean the Parliament. MP Yubaraj Sharma drew the attention of the House and the government to issues such as good governance, inflation control, and development construction.
MP Rajendralaxmi Gaire called on the government to be sensitive to the health sector. MP Sonam Geljen Sherpa demanded action against vehicles violating traffic rules within Singha Durbar, the Central Government Secretariat complex.
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17- Speaker Aryal directs to remove ‘unparliamentary’ remarks of leader Thapa
Kathmandu, May 13: Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal has directed the Federal Parliament Secretariat to remove the unparliamentary remarks of CPN (UML) Parliamentary Party leader Ram Bahadur Thapa from record.
In today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, lawmaker of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Manish Khanal, had asked the House to remove Thapa’s remarks from the record, saying the remarks put forth by leader Thapa on Tuesday were unseemly.
In accordance with Federal parliament Regulations, Speaker Aryal directed the Secretariat to remove the unparliamentary remarks.
Ain Mahar of the CPN (UML) had protested this move soon after lawmaker Khanal put forth his opinion.
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18- NA starts deliberations on government policies and programmes
Kathmandu, May 13: Discussions on the Government of Nepal’s policies and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 has begun in the National Assembly.
The deliberations on policies and programmes have started on a party basis in the meeting today.
In the meeting, NA Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal informed the assembly that eight amendment proposals were received on the policies and programmes, including a joint amendment proposal from 19 members.
Before that, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, on behalf of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, proposed that the Assembly initiate discussions on the Nepal Government’s policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2083/84, as mentioned in the address delivered to the joint sitting of both houses of the Federal Parliament by the President on May 11.
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20- Literacy drive in Madhes aims at social change, human development: Education Minister
Kathmandu, May 13: Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Sashmit Pokharel, has said the literacy campaign in Madhes Province is not a formality but a significant initiative to bring social transformation and spur developments.
Minister Pokharel said it while receiving a report prepared by the ‘High-Level Expert Panel on Literate Madhes Province’ in Janakpurdham today. He thanked the high level task force for preparing the report with rigorous study and furnishing necessary suggestions to the government. He vowed the government would take necessary decisions after reading the report and suggestions.
A seven-member team was formed under the coordination of former government secretary Dr Ramswarup Sinha as per ministerial decision. The ministry decision focused on how Madhes Province could be declared literate in the current fiscal year.
He made it clear that the federal government would extend utmost support and coordination in realizing the campaign of making Madhes Province literate. The Minister also underlined the need of smooth coordination and collaboration among three levels of government in addition to support from schools, teachers, students and the related community.
According to him, a special campaign was essential targeting the illiterate citizens in the age group of 15 to 60. The learning methods should be also result-oriented, he added.
On the occasion, Madhes Province’s Minister for Education and Culture, Rani Kumari Tiwari, questioned investment in education sector in relation to its result. She also suggested utmost cooperation among all three tiers of government and school teachers so that Madhes Province can be declared literate within two months left for this current fiscal year.
Chair of the Women, Children and Social Justice Committee of the Parliament, Rupa Yadav, also thanked the expert team which studied the status of literacy/illiteracy in Madhes Province and forwarded suggestion for reform.
Similarly, Member of the House of Representatives, Manish Jha, believed the study recommendations would be useful to guarantee the fundamental right of citizens and bring foundational reform in education sector in Madhes Province.
Task force coordinator Sinha presented the basic content of the report such as the literacy status of Madhes Province, hindrances to illiteracy, and the strategies and new practices essential to solve the problems.
Moreover, Director General at the Center for Education and Human Resource Development, Ana Prasad Neupane, opined that the students of Grades 10, 11 and 12 could be mobilized for the literacy drive in Madhes Province.
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21- Karnali provincial government building 41 suspension bridges
Kankrebihar (Surkhet), May 13: The Karnali Province Government has started the construction of 41 suspension bridges through multi-year contracts.
In this connection, the provincial government has initiated work to build 41 bridges by giving multi-year agreements in areas where there are difficulties in crossing rivers, streams, and with cable bridges.
According to Ramesh Subedi, spokesperson of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, the construction work is planned to be completed in the fiscal year 2025/2026 as per the multi-year agreement. The bridge construction work has commenced with the target of completion within two years.
He stated that if the contract is not made within five months of obtaining the investment source approval, the project will be automatically cancelled.
Out of the target of constructing 63 suspension bridges in the current fiscal year, only 26 have been built so far. One hundred and twenty-five suspension bridges were constructed in the province in the fiscal year 2024/2025.
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22- Badi rights activist Dr Roshani Badi in police custody
Kathmandu, May 13: The police have taken Badi rights activist, Dr Roshani Badi, into custody today on the charge of attempting to cause disruption in the Supreme Court bench, said Pawan Kumar Bhattarai, spokesperson and Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Kathmandu District Police Office.
He said, “Dr Badi was taken into custody after she attempted to cause a raucous in the courtroom, and she is now held at Singha Durbar Police Station.”
Today, the Supreme Court heard the case regarding the film ‘Lalibazar’. Dr Roshani had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to stop the screening of the film.
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23- 66th Dhaulagiri Expedition Day observed
Myagdi, May 13: The 66th expedition day of Mt. Dhaulagiri has been observed today by organizing various event. Mt Dhaulagiri is the world’s seventh highest peak (8167 meters) located in Myagdi district.
Various programmes including trekking route and homestay promotion and felicitation to mountaineers were organised at Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4.
Kurt Diemberger of Austria had successfully scaled the Mt Dhaulagiri for the first time in May 13, 1960. Peter Diener, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Nima Dorjee and Nawang Dorjee along with Diemberger had reached the top of the Mt Dhaulagiri for the first time.
The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), Gandaki, organised the programmes at Mudi with support of Ministry of Tourism and Industry, Gandaki Province, Nepal Tourism Board, Gandaki, in coordination with Dhaulagiri rural municipality to observe the Day.
Chairperson of Dhaulagiri rural municipality, Prem Prasad Pun, shared that the expedition day was observed for the first time in the territory of the ward where Mt Dhaulagiri is located.
On the occasion, TAAN, Gandaki, honoured mountaineer Krishna KC with letter of appreciation and offering a shawl.
On the occasion, Chairperson of Dhaulagiri rural municipality-4, Yam Prasad Gharti, and local tourism entrepreneur Ganesh Gharti, complained that there is no existence of Dhaulagiri circuit trail due to road facility.
Similarly, Minister for Tourism and Industry of Gandaki province, Yasoda Rimal, shared that the government has given priority to create employment and income generation through preservation and promotion of mountains.
Likewise, Chief of Tourism Board, Gandaki, Maniraj Kafle, Chief of Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Manahar Kadariya, Vice-Chairperson of Pokhara Tourism Council, Hari Bhujel, TAAN Gandaki President Krishna Acharya, among others laid emphasis on feasibility study to develop the area incorporating Dhaulagiri and Dhorpatan areas as new tourism destination.
The government has collected Rs 13.45 million in royalty in this season form Mt. Dhaulagiri expedition.
According to the Department of Tourism, total 30 people—18 men and 12 women have obtained permission for the expedition of Mt Dhaulagiri in this season.
More than 700 people have scaled the Mt. Dhaulagiri in 66 years, added the Department.
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24- Prakash Adhikari appointed HoR secretary
Kathmandu, May 13: President Ramchandra Paudel has appointed Prakash Adhikari (Sankhuwasabha) as the federal parliament secretary, House of Representatives.
The President made the appointment upon the recommendation of Speaker of the House of Representatives and in line with Article 106 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal, said the President’s Office.
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25- NA to continue discussion on govt policies and programmes in next meetings
Kathmandu, May 13: The upper house of the federal parliament, National Assembly, is to continue discussion on the government policies and programmes for the coming fiscal year, 2083/84 BS.
In the meeting of the Assembly held on Wednesday, Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal informed that the Assembly would continue discussions on the policies and programmes in the next meetings because all NA members had not got turns to express their views on the important document.
Discussion on the policies and programmes began in the National Assembly from Wednesday itself. In the meeting, NA members Kiran Babu Shrestha, Jhakku Prasad Subedi, Prem Prasad Dangal, Mohammad Khalid, Tul Prasad Bishwakarma, Narayan Dutta Mishra, Ghanashyam Rijal, Samjhana Devkota, Durga Gurung, Suresh Ale Magar and Somnath Portel put forth their views.
President Ramchandra Poudel had presented the government policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2083/084 while addressing the joint meeting of both houses of the federal parliament two days back.
The National Assembly has scheduled next meeting on 11:15 am Thursday.
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26- Home delivery of passports begins in Chitwan
Chitwan, May 13: In line with recent public service reform forwarded by the federal government, the local authorities in the district began delivering passports at citizen’s doorsteps. The passports issued by the District Administration Office, Chitwan have been delivered to the service seekers at their residences via Post Office.
Chief of the District Post Office, Shalik Ram Basyal, informed that service was launched on Tuesday provided the passports to a local Ram Babu Praja of Srijana Tole at Ichchakamana Rural Municipality-7. Total 19 passports were sent to various municipalities on Wednesday and 44 on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, 12 passports were handed to the service seekers, reaching their homes. The District Post Office sent the foreign travel documents to six municipal post offices. Two out of three postal countres at Bharatpur Metropolitan City were dispatched the documents.
The passports were sent to 12 additional post offices of various local levels in the district. There are five additional post offices in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, four in Rapti Municipality and one each in Khairahani and Ratnanagar Municipality. Once the passports are received from the District Administration Office, the District Post Office dispatches these to respective/nearest post offices as per the addresses. The postal office employees drop the passports at respective houses.
The service seekers should mention the place from where they want to pick the passports while filling out the applications for it, so that it becomes easy to reach their locations after preparing the document. If the service seekers want passports at their doorsteps, they need paying Rs 55 upon the receipt. Bashyal informed that there are 72 employees combining permanent, temporary and contract based ones under the District Post Office.
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27- NC central disciplinary committee reshuffled
Kathmandu, May 13: Nepali Congress (NC) has reshuffled its central disciplinary committee.
NC President Gagan Kumar Thapa on Wednesday reshuffled the central disciplinary committee constituted in accordance with the Article 34 (7) of the Nepali Congress Statute, 2017 (with amendment).
The reconstituted committee comprises central member Taraman Gurung as the coordinator, and central members Dhana Khatiwada, Ramesh Prasad Dhamala and Bajarang Nepali as the members.
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28- HoR meeting postponed till Thursday
Kathmandu, May 13: Even the third meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) held on Wednesday failed to enter the regular business owing to obstruction by the opposition parties. It prompted the Speaker to postpone the meeting till Thursday.
The opposition parties demanded the presence of Prime Minister Balendra Shah in the parliament and sought Speaker’s ruling for it. Although the parliament meetings were held multiple times, it could not enter the regular business.
The next meeting is scheduled for 11:00am Thursday.
The HoR meeting on Wednesday was scheduled to hold a discussion on government’s policies and programmes which was read out by President Ramchandra Paudel on Monday.
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29- CEO Pandey arrested on fraud and criminal breach of trust cases
Kathmandu, May 13: The Central Investigation Bureau has arrested Jyotiprakash Pandey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nepal Investment Mega Bank (NIMB) Limited, over his alleged involvement in the crime of fraud and criminal breach of trust related to telecommunications.
According to CIB spokesperson Shiva Kumar Shrestha, 63-year-old Pandey, originally from Raktakali, Kathmandu and currently residing in Lalitpur-5, Manbhavan, was apprehended on Tuesday night in Kamalamai Municipality-6, Sindhuli along the Madan Bhandari Highway while fleeing after switching off his mobile phone.
Smart Telecom Pvt. Ltd., which had obtained a license from Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Kathmandu on 2 Baisakh 2070 to provide basic telephone services, had its license automatically revoked on 3 Baisakh 2080 as per the Clause 25 (5) of the Telecommunications Act, 2053 BS for the license was not renewed, Shrestha stated.
As per Rule 18 of the Telecommunications Service Provider Asset Management Regulations, 2079, Pandey was required to hand over all assets, telecommunications infrastructure, structures, telecommunications systems, and telecommunications networks to the NTA.
“The NIMB received that amount after the notice for submitting the bid was published. But as of now, it has neither handed given the house owner the house lease nor the electricity charges. An investigation is underway under the National Penal Code, 2074, for the crime of fraud and criminal breach of trust.”
Spokesperson, SSP Shrestha informed that an investigation is ongoing against Pandey for the same offense.
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30- Show Cause Order issued against investigation commission
Kathmandu, May 13: The Supreme Court has issued a show cause order in response to a writ petition filed against the Assests Investigation Commission.
A single bench of Justice Bal Krishna Dhakal issued the show cause order today and invited both the sides for a discussion on May 20.
Advocate Dr Premraj Silwal had filed the writ petition, arguing that the commission was unconstitutional and without a jurisdiction. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers was named as the defendant in the petition.
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31- Employees instructed to fully comply with the provisions related to discipline and conduct
Kathmandu, May 13: The government has cautioned civil servants against being involved in party politics.
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration issued a notice today, instructing civil servants to fully comply with the provisions related to discipline and conduct. The notice states that the civil service should be politically neutral, impartial and accountable as per the Constitution of Nepal and the Civil Service Act.
“If a civil servant indulges in party politics, s/he can be removed from service,” the Ministry has quoted a provision of the Act while notifying that civil servants are not allowed to join political parties or their sister organizations.
The ministry has stated that if a civil servant becomes a member of a political party, a sister organization of a political party, a people’s organization of a political party, or an organization affiliated with a political party, or if he or she becomes a candidate in an election for a political position, legal action will be taken against him or her.
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32- Digital economy and good governance major focuses in budget: Finance Minister
Kathmandu, May 13: Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has said the policies and programmes the government released was based on the promises and commitment papers Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) presented before people during election. The budget for the upcoming fiscal year would also be brought accordingly, he informed.
Minister Dr Wagle said it while addressing the ‘Kantipur Economic Summit’ organized by Kantipur Media Group in the federal capital on Wednesday. In his virtual address to the event, the Finance Minister reminded that good governance was accorded top priority in the reform agenda, while the economic development carried equal significance in the policies and programmes unveiled on Monday. The government is devoted to ensure dividends of good governance to the people, Dr Wagle shared.
According to him, the upcoming budget gives a special focus on e-governance, digital delivery and the digital economy. Service delivery will be made effective through promotion of digital applications, he added. Entire works related to information and technology would be carried out by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, he said, adding that the current import-based economy would be restructured for paving way to national prosperity. Adoption of austerity is another measure, while only necessary Nepali missions would be run abroad.
Earlier, Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyaya said good governance was government’s utmost priority. Boosting self-confidence of the private sector counts much to which policy-level adjustment would be in place.
Similarly, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Anjan Shrestha, sought government’s seriousness towards ensuring security to the private sectors so that they could advance businesses confidently.
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33- ‘Journey to Nepal’ campaign to promote tourism
Lisbon (Portugal), May 13: Nepali chef in Portugal, Tanka Sapkota, has launched the ‘Journey to Nepal’ campaign with the aim of promoting Nepali food and culture around the world and tourism in Nepal.
On the occasion of completing 30 years of his stay in Portugal, Sapkota launched the campaign at his restaurant ‘Casa Nepalesa’ (Nepali Kitchen) in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
As part of the campaign, Sapkota has been hosting charity dinners to support helpless and orphaned children in Nepal and Portugal.
Sapkota said that the ‘Journey to Nepal’ campaign was launched as a ‘cultural journey’ to introduce the Portuguese community to the nature, culture and dishes of Nepal.
Meanwhile, Nepali Ambassador to Portugal Prakash Mani Poudel also attended one of the charity dinner.
Poudel said that such programs will significantly contribute to the promotion of Nepali culture, food, and dishes, and Nepal’s tourism.
Sapkota, who came to Portugal in 1996 from Baglung, runs four restaurants, three Italian and one Nepali in Lisbon.
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34- Shrestha appointed as Acting Executive Director of NEA
Kathmandu, May 13: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Officiating Executive Director Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha has been appointed as the Acting Executive Director.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha appointed Shrestha to the post today through a ministerial decision.
Shrestha has working with the NEA for the past 29 years. He joined the NEA as a seventh-level officer in 2054 BS.
Similarly, Minister Shrestha has appointed two new board members for the NEA. Among the newly appointed members, Anshukiran Shahi of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-15 has been included in the Board of Directors, representing the private sector and Krishna Basel of Nargajun Municipality-5 on behalf of the consumers.
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35- Number of federal ministries reduced to 18
Kathmandu, May 13: The government has reduced the number of federal ministries to 18 in order to maintain administrative reforms and austerity, reduce unnecessary recurrent expenses and boost up performance.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers today decided to lower the number of ministries from existing 22 to 18 by approving the ‘Nepal Government (Work Division) Regulations, 2083’.
According to Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s Press and Research Adviser Deepa Dahal, the government has retained the Ministry of Finance, Home, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.
Similarly, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation have also remained unchanged as per the decision.
Prioritizing technology and innovation, the government has separated science and technology from the erstwhile Ministry of Education and established a new ‘Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation’ to handle newly added innovation-related tasks.
In the reorganization of other ministries, extensive adjustments have been made, merging ministries with similar functions, it is shared.
With this, there will now be the Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Youth, Labor, and Employment, and Ministry of Land, Cooperative, and Human Resources.
Similarly, the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender, and Sexual Minorities and Social Security, Ministry of Health and Food Security, Ministry of Infrastructure Development, and Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, and Environment have come to the existence.
The information technology-related tasks, previously carried out by the former Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, are now merged into the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Immediately after the formation of the new government, a plan to review the number of ministries for administrative reform and cost-cutting was put forward under the ‘100-Point Agenda for Government Reform.’
To implement the plan, the division of work, renaming, and merging of ministries were carried out based on the report submitted by the ‘Restructuring Management Secretariat,’ chaired by Secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki, adviser Dahal informed.
The move has been taken to solve the problem of excessive operational costs due to having more ministries than necessary and to make the state machinery more efficient.
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36- Sitaula elected president of Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs
Kaski, May 13: Punya Prasad Sitaula has been elected as the president of the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs.
Sitaula was elected by the general convention of the Federation that concluded in Pokhara today. Similarly, Sanukaji Prajapati, N Kumar Sai and Kedar Poudel have been elected as senior vice-presidents. Chandra Ojha, Dambarraj Pant, Atmaram Thapa, Kanchharam Thing, Kanchhaman Bal, Jit Bahadur Bharti and Ram Prasad Subedi were elected as vice-presidents.
A total of 78-member working committee has been elected from the general convention.
Two thousand representatives and observers from committees, companies, private limited companies and cooperatives operating public transport from across the country participated in the general convention.
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37- Ministry asked to set scientific price of paddy
Kathmandu, May 13: The Department of Agriculture has recommended the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development to fix the support price of paddy, considering the investment cost and inflation.
The Department recommended the price with the aim of ensuring the accurate price of coarse and fine paddy produced by farmers. For the recommendation, the Department had a field survey on the production cost- the cost of producing per unit of paddy and seeds, fertilizers, wages, inflation and market prices. With these in consideration, the Ministry was suggested the scientific price of the paddy.
The Ministry is learnt to propose the price of per quintal paddy by incorporating transportation cost and other relevant criteria.
Director General at the Department, Prakash Sanjel, informed that they would set the new price by adding a few parameters to the minimum support price set last year and the per unit production cost of paddy in various 22 districts of the country.
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