Today’s national news in a nutshell

Govt to register company to build 1,200 MW Budhigandaki project

The government is set to register a company to construct the 1,200-megawatt Budhigandaki project.

A cabinet meeting held Tuesday approved a proposal to this effect.

The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation tabled a proposal to construct the Budhigandaki project under company model.

A promoter investors’ modality has also been prepared by the government.

Scrapping the previous government’s decision to give the project to a Chinese company, the government had decided to build Budhigandaki on its own last April/May.

Gautam announces formation of ‘NCP Ekata Rastriya Abhiyan’ party

Leader Bamdev Gautam has announced the formation of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Ekata Rastriya Abhiyan – a new political party.

The announcement was made at a press conference held at Reporters Club on Tuesday afternoon.

Gautam is the coordinator of NCP Ekata Rastriya Abhiyan that a 75-member central committee.

Likewise, the party has a fixed 15-member standing committee, said central member Nimkant Pandey.

Also, the party will have multiple executives for a single post.

Street food banned in Kathmandu

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has banned the sale of food in the streets from Tuesday.

KMC has stated that it has taken this step to control the spread of cholera. As the number of cholera patients has been increasing in the Kathmandu Valley recently, the sale and distribution of food items that involves using of water has been banned.

KMC has warned of action against those who disobey the order.

Chief of the Health Department of the metropolis, Balram Tripathi, shared that the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control has been requested to check the level of food hygiene in hotels and restaurants.

Likewise, the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited has been requested to look into the condition of water pipeline and sewerage system.

Supreme Court quashes petition seeking to halt re-polling in Budhiganga Municipality

The Supreme Court has refused to issue an interim order in a writ petition seeking to stop re-polling in Bajura’s Budhiganga Municipality.

Following controversy in Budhiganga, the Election Commission had scheduled re-election there on July 7, against which the writ petition had been filed.

Dal Bahadur Saud of Budhiganga had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court demanding to stop the scheduled re-polling and proceed with counting of votes from the ballot box of the election held on May 13.

However, the division bench of acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki and Justice Susmalata Mathema refused to issue an interim order to restrict the re-polling.

Garbage management in Kathmandu to be affected for two days

Garbage management related work in Kathmandu Valley would be affected for two days, today and tomorrow, as the road from Sisdol to Bancharedanda in Nuwakot district has to be repaired.

Garbage-crammed vehicles plying the road leading to the destinations where garbage of Kathmandu is managed are facing problems in movement during maintenance process, according to Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

KMC’s Environment Department said that that garbage collection in Kathmandu Valley and dumping in Bancharedanda, two kilometer away from Sisdol, would be affected for two days since the area leading to Bancharedanda has to be cleared off.

Currently, vehicles have to pass through heaps of garbage piled on various places along the Sisdol and Bancharedanda road to dump the trashes.

Nepali Army Chief Sharma visits US Marine Corps Base in Virginia

Nepali Army (NA) Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Prabhuram Sharam, who is on an official visit to the United States, has visited Quantico-based Marine Corps Base in Virginia on Monday.

He also toured the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Command and Staff College that lie adjacent to the Marine Corps Base.

CoAS Sharma’s official U.S. visit kicked off on Monday itself and is to conclude on Friday.

Meanwhile, the CoAS reached the U.S. on Sunday for his official visit and paid a courtesy call on Nepali Ambassador to the U.S. Shreedhar Khatri the same day.

Speaker Sapkota leaves for Azerbaijan

A delegation led by Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota has left for Baku of Azerbaijan on Tuesday to participate in ‘Parliamentary Network of Non Aligned Movement’ conference.

The conference is taking place from June 30-July 2.

Member of House of Representatives, Pushpa Bhusal, National Assembly member Ram Chandra Rai and personal Secretary of the Speaker, Govinda Pathak, are part of the delegation.

Speaker Sapkota will address the conference on the need and significance of the non-aligned movement and enhancing cooperation among parliaments of its member countries, said Spokesperson at the Federal Parliament Secretariat, Dr Rojnath Pande.

The conference will issue the Baku Declaration.

NEPSE downtrend continues on Tuesday; Stock market declines by 11.82 points

 The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) downtrend continued Tuesday and decreased by 11.82 points to 1921.31.

The stock market, which rose by 94.92 points on Sunday, has been declining for the past two days. On Monday, the index had dropped by 23.85 points to 1933.13.

A total of 3,037,680 shares of 230 companies were traded through 23,133 transactions, resulting in a turnover of Rs 1.582 billion.

On Tuesday, only the banking and life insurance groups remained green, while all other groups turned red.

JSP decides to call back its ministers without Baburam’s consent

The Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) has decided to call back its ministers from the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government.

JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav has decided to recall all the ministers in the government without the consent of another party Chairman Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai.

A meeting of the Upendra-affiliated executive committee held last night decided to recall four ministers in the government.

The Yadav-led faction of the party has decided to send new ministers to the cabinet.

According to a JSP source, none of the leaders in favor of Dr. Bhattarai was invited to the meeting.