KATHMANDU: Election for the vacant seats in the National Assembly, the upper house of the federal parliament, is to be held on January 23.

Government Spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communication Technology Gokul Baskota announced the election date while making public decisions of recent Cabinet meetings on Thursday.

The law stipulates that the government shall announce the date for the election to the National Assembly in consultation with the Election Commission. The term of 19 members or one-third members of the 59-member upper house is terminating from March 3, 2020.

Of this many National Assembly members, 18 would be chosen through election while the remaining one member would be nominated by the President on the recommendation of the government.

The law also stipulates that all the programs related to the election should be completed 35 days ahead from the date when the term of the members expires.

This election will elect seven women members, two members from the Dalit communities, two members from the minority communities and seven members from others.

An electoral college comprising the State Assembly members, the chairs and vice-chairs of the Rural Municipality and the mayor and deputy mayor of Municipality will elect the members to the National Assembly.

Similarly, the government is to recommend the President to summon the meeting of both parliaments for December 20. The Cabinet also decided to appoint Anil Pokhrel from Biratnagar as Executive Chief of National Disaster Reduction and Management Authority.

Also the Spokesperson of the government, Minister Banskota said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been directed to take initiative to garner support for Nepal as it would vie for a temporary member of the UN Security Council for 2037/38.

The government has accepted the soft loan and technological grants of Rs 63 million US dollars for Bagmati riverine project to be provided by the Asian Development Bank. The soft loan of Rs 21.44 billion will be accepted for the up-gradation of Prithvi Highway. The amount will be provided by ADB.

Moreover, a talk team will be formed to receive the loan of Rs 12.52 billion from the European Investment Bank for the upgrading of electricity distribution and expansion projects. Even the loan amount- Rs 5.65 billion for rural enterprises financing the project and an equal amount for food safety and agriculture commercialization- to be provided by ADB will be accepted.

The grants of some Rs one billion to be provided by the Swiss government will be accepted for State Aid Program (first phase, State 1). The Cabinet meeting also decided to receive two sky truck aircraft provided as assistance by the friendly country USA for Nepal Army.

A five-member team led by Secretary at Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply, Baikuntha Aryal, will conduct a week-long study visit on the electronic cargo tracking system in Visakhapatnam, Kolkatta, and New Delhi of India from Thursday.

The government is to provide 11 kattha 8 dhur of land, which is in its record in Rupandehi, to the district coordination committee for thirty years. The term of office-bearers at the public and guthi land conservation probe committee has been extended by six more months.