All 7 provinces governors PA members sworn-in
The swearing-in ceremonies by all provincial members have successfully made to their respective temporary capitals.
Province 1 newly appointed governor, Govinda Bahadur Tumbahang, sworn the oath to Provincial Assembly members at the Biratnagar-based Birendra City hall at 10:00 am this morning.
Similarly, the Provincial Assembly members of Province 2 were sworn in at Janakpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall by Governor Ratneshwor Lal Kayastha today.
110 PA members of Provincial Assembly 3 were sworn in at 10:00 am today. They were administered oath of office by PA 3 governor Anuradha Koirala at Hetauda Province Secretariat.
Likewise, Baburam Kuwar, governor of Province 4 administered oath of office to the Provincial Assembly members at 11:00 am this morning in Regional Administration Office Convention Hall, Pokhara.
In Province 5, 87 Provincial Assembly members were sworn in by the newly-appointed governor, Umakanta Jja today itself at the Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall.
Meanwhile, elected Provincial Assembly members were sworn in by governor Durga Keshar Khanal at Surkhet District Coordination Committee Hall at 11:00 am this morning.
Mohan Raj Malla, governor of Province 7 administered the oath of office to Provincial Assembly members at the Kailali District Coordination Committee Hall.
Earlier, newly appointed governors of the seven provinces took oath of office and secrecy from President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at Shital Niwas on January 19 themselves.
Nepse limits one billion transactions on 3rd day
On the third say of this week securities market has informed that 2.4 million scrip of 170 listed companies were traded. However, the transaction has fallen by 35.98 per cent from Nrs 1.71 billion in previous weeks to Nrs 1.09 billion this week.
Likewise, Nepse index has closed at 1406.52 points after seeing a drop of 24.58 points.
Sanima Hydropower, Nabil Bank, Nepal Life Insurance, Standard Chartered Bank and National Life Insurance Company gained the most while Sanima Hydropower Limited topped the chart with highest turnover of Nrs 109 million.
The securities market saw regular trading for three days during this week.
Sandip Lamichhane makes into IPL 2018 Auction List
Nepal’s Leg Spinner, Sandip Lamichhane, makes into the IPL Auction 2018 player list. The second auction is scheduled for this 27th and 28th January.
Lamichhane is one of two players from ICC Associate Nations listed for the auction. The other player is a Canadian wicket keeper Tariq Hamza.
With 18 Players already retained, 182 spots are up for auction. Lamichhane is one of the 182 capped overseas player bagging their claim in the upcoming auction at Lamichhane.
The 17 Year old Nepalese Leg Spinner has taken 12 wickets in 9 matches with an average of 28.25 and an economy of 4.59. He was invited by Michael Clarke to represent the Sydney-based club Western Suburbs in 2016.
Educational credit transfer system to be introduced by TU
After years of debate, Nepal will start a credit transfer system that will make it easier for students and working professionals to switch between education and jobs.
Things have gotten much easier now that colleges in Kathmandu have started collaborating with abroad-based institutes to introduce initiatives like study-abroad programs and international guest speaker series. Many provide spacious and conducive educational environment with particular focus on personality enhancement, industrial internship and job placement. If we are to draw a parallel between studying abroad and in Nepal, it is more convenient and economical to study within the country.
For all those that are still weighing in different possibilities on where to study, following is a profile of eight well-established colleges in Kathmandu. These institutions provide exciting academic and non-academic opportunities and deserve a quick read, even if you have figured what to do next.
A three-member research committee has submitted a report on introducing credit transfer system in Tribhuvan University. The TU senate had endorsed the work procedure relating to the system on September 20, 2015.
Once the new system is introduced, Nepali and foreign students studying in foreign universities will be allowed to continue their studies in TU. However, only international students who have completed 50 or less credit hours in foreign universities can apply for credit transfer in TU. Likewise, 50 per cent of the subjects of the transferred course should match with the course in TU. Students seeking credit transfer will not be allowed to change their core or major subjects.
Tirtha Raj Khaniya, vice-chancellor of TU, however, said implementation of the system in the university where political tussles were often reflected in classrooms, was very difficult. “Although we decided to implement credit transfer system, we are not sure if reputed foreign universities are willing to work with us as classes are often disrupted for political reasons,” he said and added that they would introduce the system for a few programmes from the new academic session.
“We are facing difficulties even implementing the semester system in colleges. So, running classes on the basis of credit hours can be really challenging,” VC Khaniya said.
Hridish Pokhrel, executive director of Office of Planning Directorate at TU, said the office had started research on credit transfer system after a lot of foreign universities and students showed their interest in studying in TU.
“Foreign students have shown interest in seeking credit transfer to our colleges especially in technical and health related subjects,” added Pokhrel. More than 80 per cent students in the country either study in 60 constituent campuses of TU or in more than 1,084 private and public campus affiliated to TU.
The TU is a largest university in the country and ninth largest in the world. It offers more than 2,000 post graduates programmes under the wide range of disciplines.
Bir Hospital to to launch telemedicine services
Few months ago, a woman of Malikarjun VDC, Darchula was brought to the district hospital as she writhed in labor pain. Seeing the baby´s hand come out first instead of head, the doctors and other staff at the hospital were confused about what to do.
“The woman´s condition was serious but the doctors were helpless,” Dr Amit Pokhrel, a doctor at the hospital, said. He said that the dilemma before the hospital at the time was whether to refer the patient to the nearest referral center, which is more than eight hours away by an ambulance. The hospital refers complicated cases sometimes to a nearby hospital at Pithauragadh, India, but on that day it was already dark and the border was closed.
Some health workers suggested that the child be pushed back and then pulled out using hands. “But we decided to take medical help from gynecologists at Patan Hospital,” said Dr Pokhrel. He said that a gynecologist at the hospital cautioned them not to intervene in the process and asked them to wait.”
“The child itself pulled its hands in and came out normally after 24 hours,” he said, adding, “We saved both mother and child by the advice of consultant doctors.”
After few decades of supernal medication Bir Hospital has set to launch telemedicine services to provide healthcare services to people living in remote areas.
Infrastructures for launching telemedicine services have already been set up in the hospital. It has already started transmission and completed the trail phase. The hospital is now working to make round-the-clock arrangement of doctors.
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunications technology to provide delivery of healthcare services to patients living in remote locations. This allows healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients without the need for hospital visit.
The services will first be launched in Dhading and Dolakha and gradually be extended to Butwal, Chitwan and Biratnagar in collaboration with doctors of National Academy of Medical Sciences and Bir Hospital, as per Dr Bhupendra Basnet, director, Bir Hospital.
“Doctors living in remote areas can consult specialists in Bir Hospital through video conferencing. This will improve delivery of treatment,” said Dr Basnet.
Currently, 2,000 people visit the out-patient department of Bir Hospital while the hospital has the capacity of treating 460 indoor patients.
The service will be helpful to people living in remote areas as they will not have to travel a long distance for treatment. “It saves time and is also cost effective. Similarly, it will also be beneficial for patients who need to be in regular touch with doctors for consultation,” said Dr Basnet.
District hospitals of Humla, Mugu, Dolpa, Solukhumbu, Darchula, Bhajang, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Rashuwa, Bajura, Kalikot, Aachham, Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa, Gorkha, Pyuthan, Okhaldhunga, Mustang, Manang, Sindhuli, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Dolakha, Jumla, Solukhumbu, Khotang and other three have been linked with the service. The center said that hospitals in Darchula, Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha and Rukum are the most active ones in making use of the service.
“Each day, 10 to 15 calls come from these districts,” said Keshav Pradhan, a public health inspector at the center. He said that over 4,500 people have already received services from the center in the last 15 months. Pradhan said that expensive referrals to the regional and sub regional hospitals from district hospitals have been significantly reduced after they were connected with the center. “People in the districts have been feeling huge relieved from the service,” he added. The center said that efforts are under way to have telemedicine services in all the districts.
Provincial capital protest continues in Doti, Dhankuta and Dang
The agitation that started expressing dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to fix the temporary provincial headquarters, continued in Doti’s Dipayal, Dhankuta and Dang today as well.
The two districts in Province 7 and Province 1, both of which have long been organising protests and demonstrations for state capitalhood, have refused to recognise the government’s decision to grant the status of temporary provincial capitals to Kailali’s Dhangadhi and Morang’s Biratnagar.
Doti and Dhankuta were shut from early Wednesday morning to build pressure on the government, but to no avail. In Dipayal, the district headquarters of Doti, the enraged locals hurled stones at government offices and briefly seized a police van.
Demanding Dang to be the capital of province 5, residents of Dang have come together to protest government’s decision of proposing temporary capitals where a high court is located. Residents have called indefinite strike from today. Since early morning today, schools, markets and industries have shut down, while vehicle movement has come to a standstill.
The district secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), the party’s area president and municipal committee president announced that they were quitting from their positions in the party, accusing the NC President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of letting down the people of Doti.
In Dhankuta, the locals burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Deuba and demanded the government to withdraw its decision to base the headquarters of Province 1 in Biratnagar.
Earlier in the day, protesters had vandalised a motorcycle for defying the banda at Atmara. Meanwhile, the people of Dang has called for an indefinite strike from Wednesday to protest the government’s decision to make Butwal of Rupandehi district the temporary headquarters of Province 5. They also staged demonstrations at Ghorahi, the district headquarters of Dang, to protest the decision. The demonstrators also bunt tyres at different places along the East-West Highway to obstruct traffic.
At Deukhuri of Lamhai, protesters have shut down market and halted Mahendra highway-thereby affecting passengers commuting the highway. Likewise, Ghorahi, the district headquarter has also been affected. Protest at Tulsipur, one of the major economic centers of the district, has affected vehicle movement from two adjoining districts, Rukum and Salyan.
Protesters have been claiming that Dang would be the only feasible option as a provincial capital, and they would continue with the protests as long as their claims materialized.
The clash had erupted after agitators pelted stones at the security personnel from the corner meet organised in front of DAO Doti. Police had charged batons and opened dozens of tear gas shells.
Agitators claimed that two dozen demonstrators including CPN-UML Doti chair Chakra Malla were injured in the incident. They accused the police personnel of firing tear gas shells in the peaceful demonstration. They alleged that police personnel had charged batons indiscriminately to all and sundry.
Agitators clashed with security personnel in Doti’s Silgadhi. Over three dozens of agitators including police personnel were injured when the protesters clashed with police personnel. Doti locals are agitating against the government decision to fix Kailali’s Dhangadhi as the provincial capital of Province 7.
Doti police Chief SP Madhusudan Luitel, however, refuted the allegation and said that police had to charge batons and fire tear gas shells for their self defence after the agitators pelted stones at them. SP Luitel said situation was brought under control after long and hard efforts.
Doti remained shut for the third consecutive day today demanding that Dipayal be made the provincial capital. Market places and educational institutions pulled down their shutters. Buses stayed off the road while government offices, industries and factories remained closed.
Agitation Coordination Committee Coordinator Narendra Khadka said their agitation would not come to an end unless the government corrects its decision.
Similarly, after the government fixed Biratnagar as temporary capital of Province 1, agitation has become stern in Dhankuta. The agitation with demand to make Dhankuta the provincial capital for the past 34 days has hit normal life very hard.
A meeting held between the local administration and Provincial Capital Struggle Committee today ended inconclusively. After the talk, Struggle Committee Coordinator Sundarbabu Shrestha said general strike would continue in Dhankuta. He informed that they would announce other programmes of agitation.
District Administration Office Dhankuta lifted prohibitory order from 5:00pm today. The DAO had imposed the order from Thursday saying that the agitation had turned violent. Due to the prohibitory order, commuter and heavy trucks plying along the Koshi highway had been stuck midway. With the lifting of the order, vehicular movement has resumed on the highway.
Protests continued in Dang also. The strike called with demand to make Dang provincial headquarters has hit the normal life very hard. The government offices remained closed. Some offices were shut down forcefully by the agitators while some were closed by employees. Buses stayed off the road while schools, business organizations, factories and market places pulled down their shutters. The government has fixed Rupandehi as provincial headquarters of Province 6. Struggle Committee Dang Secretary and CPN-Maoist Centre Dang District joint in-charge Nirmal Acharya said their agitation would continue unless Dang was fixed as provincial capital of the Province 6.
Local political parties have supported the protest.
Protesters have been claiming that Dang would be the only feasible option as a provincial capital, and they would continue with the protests as long as their claims materialized.
The clash had erupted after agitators pelted stones at the security personnel from the corner meet organised in front of DAO Doti. Police had charged batons and opened dozens of tear gas shells.
Agitators claimed that two dozen demonstrators including CPN-UML Doti chair Chakra Malla were injured in the incident. They accused the police personnel of firing tear gas shells in the peaceful demonstration. They alleged that police personnel had charged batons indiscriminately to all and sundry.
Agitators clashed with security personnel in Doti’s Silgadhi. Over three dozens of agitators including police personnel were injured when the protesters clashed with police personnel. Doti locals are agitating against the government decision to fix Kailali’s Dhangadhi as the provincial capital of Province 7.
Doti police Chief SP Madhusudan Luitel, however, refuted the allegation and said that police had to charge batons and fire tear gas shells for their self defence after the agitators pelted stones at them. SP Luitel said situation was brought under control after long and hard efforts.
Doti remained shut for the third consecutive day today demanding that Dipayal be made the provincial capital. Market places and educational institutions pulled down their shutters. Buses stayed off the road while government offices, industries and factories remained closed.
Agitation Coordination Committee Coordinator Narendra Khadka said their agitation would not come to an end unless the government corrects its decision.
Similarly, after the government fixed Biratnagar as temporary capital of Province 1, agitation has become stern in Dhankuta. The agitation with demand to make Dhankuta the provincial capital for the past 34 days has hit normal life very hard.
A meeting held between the local administration and Provincial Capital Struggle Committee today ended inconclusively. After the talk, Struggle Committee Coordinator Sundarbabu Shrestha said general strike would continue in Dhankuta. He informed that they would announce other programmes of agitation.
District Administration Office Dhankuta lifted prohibitory order from 5:00pm today. The DAO had imposed the order from Thursday saying that the agitation had turned violent. Due to the prohibitory order, commuter and heavy trucks plying along the Koshi highway had been stuck midway. With the lifting of the order, vehicular movement has resumed on the highway.
Protests continued in Dang also. The strike called with demand to make Dang provincial headquarters has hit the normal life very hard. The government offices remained closed. Some offices were shut down forcefully by the agitators while some were closed by employees. Buses stayed off the road while schools, business organizations, factories and market places pulled down their shutters. The government has fixed Rupandehi as provincial headquarters of Province 6. Struggle Committee Dang Secretary and CPN-Maoist Centre Dang District joint in-charge Nirmal Acharya said their agitation would continue unless Dang was fixed as provincial capital of the Province 6.
Local political parties have supported the protest. Manange escaped from police custody
Independent candidate, former Notorious gangster Rajiv Gurung alias Deepak Manange, who have elected as the province assembly member from Manang Province ‘Kha’ constituency is able to abscond from police custody. Police has formed a team to search him and get back to prison.
Manange, who was recently elected as an independent candidate to a provincial assembly seat from Manang district, has had several run-ins with the law on numerous criminal charges in the past.
Manange, who won the election as a candidate for the CPI (Maoist) election, has been convicted of criminal offenses as per Article 178. Now as the post of the Rajya Sabha member will also be dismissed.
The Tuesday’s SC ruling is related to a gang war that took place 13 years ago in the Capital, in which Manange and his men had attacked the rival gang leader Milan Gurung aka Chakre and his lackeys.
A joint bench of Justice Deepak Raj Joshi and Justice Purushottam Bhandari upheld the verdict handed down by the Patan Appellate Court in 2013, overturning the ruling of the Kathmandu District Court in the case.
The Kathmandu District Court had ruled out the attempted murder charge and ordered a two-year jail sentence to Manange in aggravated assault conviction. The court had also acquitted four of Manange’s accomplices, including gangster turned politician Ganesh Lama.
Dissatisfied by the court’s ruling, the government lawyers had knocked the door of the Patan Appellate Court, seeking punishment against the defendants.
The Patan Appellate Court in 2012 ruled the incident as an attempted murder case and ordered five years jail sentence to Manange, but upheld the Kathmandu District Court’s decision to acquit Manange’s four accomplices.
The Attorney General’s Office in May 2013 had moved the SC, seeking punishment to four of Manange’s accomplices as well.
Nearly five years after the case was registered for a reveiw of judgment, the SC on Tuesday decided to uphold the ruling of the Patan Appellate Court.
With the SC ruling, Manange will have to go back to prison. He also have to give up his provincial assembly seat since a convicted criminal cannot become a praliamentarian, according to the apex court.
Earlier, the CPN-UML’s Manang District Committee had unanimously recommended Manange’s name for the polls. The party’s Standing Committee, however, rejected his name, mainly owing to public criticism, according to a party source.
Just few weeks back, Manage defected the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and joined the UML with a hope to contest the polls. He was the elected chairman of the RPP Manang District Committee and all members of the committee had joined the UML along with him.
The UML has decided to field Khanda Lama Gurung in the constituency. Gurung had also joined the UML by defecting the RPP along with Manange.
A joint bench of Justice Deepak Raj Joshi and Justice Purushottam Bhandari upheld the verdict handed down by the Patan Appellate Court in 2013, overturning the ruling of the Kathmandu District Court in the case.
The Kathmandu District Court had ruled out the attempted murder charge and ordered a two-year jail sentence to Manange in aggravated assault conviction. The court had also acquitted four of Manange’s accomplices, including gangster turned politician Ganesh Lama.
Dissatisfied by the court’s ruling, the government lawyers had knocked the door of the Patan Appellate Court, seeking punishment against the defendants.
The Patan Appellate Court in 2012 ruled the incident as an attempted murder case and ordered five years jail sentence to Manange, but upheld the Kathmandu District Court’s decision to acquit Manange’s four accomplices.
The Attorney General’s Office in May 2013 had moved the SC, seeking punishment to four of Manange’s accomplices as well.
Nearly five years after the case was registered for a reveiw of judgment, the SC on Tuesday decided to uphold the ruling of the Patan Appellate Court.
With the SC ruling, Manange will have to go back to prison. He also have to give up his provincial assembly seat since a convicted criminal cannot become a praliamentarian, according to the apex court.
Earlier, the CPN-UML’s Manang District Committee had unanimously recommended Manange’s name for the polls. The party’s Standing Committee, however, rejected his name, mainly owing to public criticism, according to a party source.
Just few weeks back, Manage defected the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and joined the UML with a hope to contest the polls. He was the elected chairman of the RPP Manang District Committee and all members of the committee had joined the UML along with him.
The UML has decided to field Khanda Lama Gurung in the constituency. Gurung had also joined the UML by defecting the RPP along with Manange.
DoTM formally Initiated Digital Driving License from all over Nepal
After the successful issuance of Digital Driving License since last year, finally Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has initiated online-based application system for driving licenses based on the decision all over Nepal from January 9. The Transportation Management Office, Bagmati has been issuing smart licenses from December 20, 2015.
The new licenses are similar to ATM cards issued by banks. They contain electronic chips similar to SIM cards and store information like the driver’s identity and vehicle registration number.
The cards will eventually be issued from all the zonal offices of the department, except Karnali zone.
According to Shrestha, the department plans to complete replacing the technology enabled license within three to five years. Till date, the DoTM has issued around 2 million driving licenses, out of which around 1.5 million are estimated to be active.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Bijay Kumar Gachhadar launched the new licenses by unveiling a license issued in the name of DoTM Director General Chandra Man Shrestha and a replica.
Speaking at the event, Gachhadar stressed the need to make people aware about the newly introduced licenses. He added that the use of technology would end anomalies prevailing in the sector.
As per the decision made by DoTM, the department will fix a quota for each office and this could vary on a daily basis.
However, according to Rupnarayan Bhattarai, director general of DoTM, the online-based system has not been applied in the Karnali Zonal Office.
Based on the confirmation code, the process of written and trial exams will begin.
The implementation of fully online-based system is expected to facilitate the general public, who otherwise would have to queue for hours just to submit their applications for the driving licence.
The DoTM has changed manual system of accepting applications after receiving a large number of complaints from service seekers about the huge inconvenience due to the earlier system.
DoTM has categorized the vehicles in different groups. For example, motorcycles have been categorized in Group ‘A’, scooters in Group ‘K’ and cars in Group ‘B’ in the new system. People can choose the appropriate group through the website of the DoTM and apply for the driving license.
While the data recorded on the smart driving licences will be accessible to all the transport offices across the country, linkages will be made available to the traffic police, police and insurance agencies, among others, so that they can get complete information about the driver.
Meanwhile, driving licence applicants will have to give a fingerprint impression, get a passport-size photograph made and place their signature on the licence card by visiting the transportation office. This means that people will not be able to get their colleagues or friends obtain or renew licences on their behalf.
The DoTM has fixed the quota for two-wheelers between 100 and 600 units based on the zonal office. The highest number of quota has been fixed for offices belonging to the Bagmati Zonal Office. “As per demand in the zonal offices, we have fixed the quota and this may be changed on a daily basis,” Bhattarai clarified.
“Different quotas have been fixed for different zonal offices. Service seekers will get confirmation code and based on the code, the next process will be started,” Bhattarai stated. “So, if the quota for that day is finished, the additional applications will automatically be pushed to the following day.”
However, the new system will provide no relief to more than 250,000 people who have passed the trial examination and applied to renew their driving license as the DoTM has been unable to distribute the licenses to them due to scarcity of smart driving license cards.
The DoTM has changed manual system of accepting applications after receiving a large number of complaints from service seekers about the huge inconvenience due to the earlier system.
DoTM has categorized the vehicles in different groups. For example, motorcycles have been categorized in Group ‘A’, scooters in Group ‘K’ and cars in Group ‘B’ in the new system. People can choose the appropriate group through the website of the DoTM and apply for the driving license.
While the data recorded on the smart driving licences will be accessible to all the transport offices across the country, linkages will be made available to the traffic police, police and insurance agencies, among others, so that they can get complete information about the driver.
Meanwhile, driving licence applicants will have to give a fingerprint impression, get a passport-size photograph made and place their signature on the licence card by visiting the transportation office. This means that people will not be able to get their colleagues or friends obtain or renew licences on their behalf.
The DoTM has fixed the quota for two-wheelers between 100 and 600 units based on the zonal office. The highest number of quota has been fixed for offices belonging to the Bagmati Zonal Office. “As per demand in the zonal offices, we have fixed the quota and this may be changed on a daily basis,” Bhattarai clarified.
“Different quotas have been fixed for different zonal offices. Service seekers will get confirmation code and based on the code, the next process will be started,” Bhattarai stated. “So, if the quota for that day is finished, the additional applications will automatically be pushed to the following day.”
However, the new system will provide no relief to more than 250,000 people who have passed the trial examination and applied to renew their driving license as the DoTM has been unable to distribute the licenses to them due to scarcity of smart driving license cards.
Officials to Brussels, shatter off European Airspace Ban
Since last December for the second time, Nepal from flying into European Union. A bunch of high level officials from Nepal’s civil aviation authority has headed to the European Commission (EC), located at for Brussels, Belgium to talk to EC and debar the ban.
EC has agree to make the fly from Nepal to EU, however they has identified Nepal as shortcomings EC four years ago and now has been fixed and have adequate evidences to prove that. They will have to assure EC that Nepal can “provide the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) necessary resources to make it competent to execute various responsibilities independently”.
Nepal’s aviation sector has been progressing very well and Nepal plans to expand to European airspace. It is also planned to resume flights to London after it gets the Airbus A330 jets in mid-2018. However, this ban from the EC blocks all these plans. As long as the restriction is in place, Nepali airlines will not be able to fly in Europe and other countries.
Last July, the International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) had removed the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) tag on Nepal placed four years ago. The officials are optimistic that on their next meeting in June, EC will remove Nepal from its air safety list.
If the officials can convince EC representatives, there are high chances that EC may remove Nepal from its “air safety list”. The officials from Nepal aviation include Tourism Joint Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane and Caan Director General Sanjiv Gautam. The officials only have four hours to represent their case.
Rajan Pokhrel, deputy director general of the Caan said, “We will be presenting our progress report at the technical meeting. So far, we have addressed all the safety shortcomings cited by the EC.”
Last year, EC decided that it would continue to impose the ban placed against Nepal four years ago. But as Nepal’s issues were not discussed during EC’s aviation safety committee meeting, Nepal was formally invited to present its case in the technical committee meeting.
Nepal’s aviation sector has been progressing very well and Nepal plans to expand to European airspace. It is also planned to resume flights to London after it gets the Airbus A330 jets in mid-2018. However, this ban from the EC blocks all these plans. As long as the restriction is in place, Nepali airlines will not be able to fly in Europe and other countries.
Last July, the International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) had removed the Significant Safety Concerns (SSC) tag on Nepal placed four years ago. The officials are optimistic that on their next meeting in June, EC will remove Nepal from its air safety list.
If the officials can convince EC representatives, there are high chances that EC may remove Nepal from its “air safety list”. The officials from Nepal aviation include Tourism Joint Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane and Caan Director General Sanjiv Gautam. The officials only have four hours to represent their case.
Rajan Pokhrel, deputy director general of the Caan said, “We will be presenting our progress report at the technical meeting. So far, we have addressed all the safety shortcomings cited by the EC.”
Last year, EC decided that it would continue to impose the ban placed against Nepal four years ago. But as Nepal’s issues were not discussed during EC’s aviation safety committee meeting, Nepal was formally invited to present its case in the technical committee meeting.
Nepal Government plans to cancel another Hydropower with China
With almost eradication of blackouts so called “Loadshedding”, Nepal has cancelled the queued another hydropower deal project with a Chinese company. Project had aimed as West Seti Hydropower Project signed has signed with China Three Gorges International Corporation to be constructed and well functioned. Earlier, government has already scraped Budhigandaki hydroelectric project with China.
The company wrote to Nepal Investment Board’s (NIB) last December citing the dissatisfaction over project conditions proposed by the board. Following this, NIB has decided to cancel the deal. Since, the Chinese firm has also been planning to scrap the deal as they too are dissatisfied with the Nepal Investment Board’s (NIB) power purchase rate policy.
According to the company, “If Nepal Government or Nepal Electricity Authority does not like to revise the Power Purchase Rate policy in order to improve the economic conditions of the project, the project will become economically infeasible according to the result we carefully calculated. Therefore, it becomes no necessary to consider any next work plan or action.”
The letter ends on a good note saying, “We truly appreciates your continuous support on our work and we kindly hope your party could try the best to make the project economically feasible.”
