Skip to main content

Nepal News: 15-12-2016

Four-day shutdown declared in Rolpa and Pyuthan against splitting of Province No 5

The Rolpa-Pyuthan Joint Struggle Committee has announced a four-day general shutdown of Rolpa and Putyhan districts effective from Thursday in protest of registration of constitution amendment bill to split Province No 5.  The meeting of the Committee convened at Bhringu in Pyuthan on Wednesday took the decision to this effect, according to Committee's Rolpa Coordinator Amar Singh Pun Magar who is also President of the Nepali Congress Rolpa Chapter.  The constitution amendment bill registered at the Legislature-Parliament on November 29 has proposed separating the mountainous districts as Palpa, Arghakhachi, Gulmi Rolpa and Pyuthan among others from Province no 5 to 4.  The Committee argued that the Province No 5, which earlier constituted hilly and mountainous districts rich in natural resources and cultural heritage, should not be split from the Province No 5.  Magar said that general shutdown was declared in an effort to launch a stern protest against the government's cavalier attitude towards their concern.  He shared that a peaceful goodwill rally will be taken out at day to maintain the communal harmony in Rolpa and Pyuthan.  With the declaration of general shutdown, the markets, hotels, industries and educational institutions have remained shut in Rolpa and Pyuthan since the morning.

Limbuwan's banda affects life in Jhapa

Normal life in Jhapa remained affected on Thursday due to a general shutdown (banda) enforced by the Federal Limbuwan Party Nepal, protesting over the constitution amendment proposal. 
Vehicles en-route to both long and short routes have remained off the road. However, motorcycles, milk containers, vehicles operating for emergency purposes including ambulance, those belonging to press and carrying vegetables are allowed to operate freely. The party has said that it is positive towards the call of civil society and human rights activists to keep the academic institutes free from the impact of banda. The party has decried the proposal to disintegrate the province no 5 in the amendment bill.

House put off until December 19

A meeting of the Legislature-Parliament scheduled for Thursday was put off until coming Monday, following the failure of major political parties to find consensus on the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament.  A notice issued by General Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Manohar Prasad Bhattarai informed the postponement of the House until 13:00 pm, December 19 due to a special reason.  Main opposition CPN-UML and other political parties have been opposing the amendment proposal registered in Parliament in a bid to address demands of various dissenting groups.  Earlier, the House sessions summoned on December 1, 2, 4, 7 and 9 were adjourned due to obstruction from the main opposition over the same matter.  It is noted that the main opposition has said that it would not allow the House resume its business until the bill is taken back while Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is saying that the bill will not be withdrawn but matters for amendment may be changed.

DPM urges UML to let parliament resume business

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi today urged main opposition CPN-UML not to obstruct parliamentary business. He opposed the obstruction, arguing that the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament is well-intended. The UML and other opposition parties are strongly opposing to the proposal, resulting in the obstruction of parliamentary business for over the past two weeks. DPM Nidhi was speaking at a program on 'analysis of Nepal's law in relation to citizenship', organized by the Forum for Women, Law and Development in the capital. "The amendment proposal should be dealt with through the Parliament itself. It is good for the UML not to obstruct Parliamentary business," he said. "The issue sounds patriotic when the UML was in the government. It becomes unpatriotic when the same issue is taken up by the government?" he questioned. He, however, emphasized the need for seeking solution to this problem through consensus. He also viewed that those laws debarring Nepali citizens from acquiring citizenship certificates should be amended. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent The Indian government has pledged to extend 17 percent more in financial aid to Nepal in the next fiscal year, indicating greater enthusiasm of the southern neighbour to support the landlocked country’s development endeavours. The Indian government has allocated a grant of IRs3.75 billion (Rs6 billion) for Nepal in 2017-18, as against IRs3.20 in 2016-17. The allocation was made through the Union Budget 2017-18 launched by Indian Finance Minister Arjun Jaitely on Wednesday.  In addition to the amount, India has also pledged to extend a grant of IRs113.30 million to Nepal Police Academy in 2017-18, the Indian budget document says. The grant pledged for Nepal in 2017-18 is second highest among South Asian countries, with Bhutan leading the pack. The Indian government has expressed commitment to extend IRs37.14 billion in grant to Bhutan in 2017-18. The amount, however, is 4 percent lower than in 2016-17. In total, Ind...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nepal to discuss new power trade guidelines with India

The Energy Ministry is planning to hold talks with the Indian Power Ministry over its recently issued discriminatory guidelines on cross-border power trade which prohibit private and third country hydropower developers in Nepal from exporting electricity to India with a one-time approval. According to the Guidelines on Cross-Border Trade of Electricity published by the Indian government last Monday, only companies in Nepal which are wholly owned by the Indian government or the public sector, or private companies with a 51 percent or higher Indian stake would be eligible to export power to India. These companies will be given a one-time approval to sell power to India, according to the guidelines. Also, companies owned or controlled by the Nepali government will be allowed to sell power to India after getting a one-time approval from the Indian authorities, according to the new rules. However, private companies owned by Nepali or third country developers wishing to export power to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Protests, clashes in Province 5 districts over demarcations

With the government bent on tabling the constitution amendment bill in parliament, protests have intensified again in various districts of western and mid-western regions after a gap of few days. Protests that had been toned down earlier in view of the hardships caused to the locals, have now been intensified from Friday with an announcement of a three-day general strike in all districts of Province 5. 'Joint struggle committees' comprising leaders of major political parties in the districts--Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Palpa--announced the strike against government preparations to table the amendment proposal in parliament. The strike has largely affected vehicular movement while schools, government offices, factories and markets remained closed.  Tensions ran high in Gulmi, Nepalgunj of Banke and Rolpa after the protestors prevented locals from using all kinds of vehicles. Over 24 prot...
Post a Comment
Read more