Broadband internet expansion makes 69.37 per cent progress

The physical progress of broadband internet connection project, launched under the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF), has reached 69.37 per cent by the mid-October. The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the regulator, has stated that broadband internet connection in 11,086 sites have been completed until the review period. Making public the progress report till mid-October, the NTA has stated that internet connection was yet to be established in 4,896 sites.

CNI demands exit policy for sick industries

The Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) has demanded formation of a powerful high level permanent committee to resolve the problems facing the sick industries. During a discussion held with the committee formed by the government to study the sick industries and prepare a report the other day, Satish Kumar More, the president of CNI, demanded a permanent solution to the problems besetting sick industries by forming a committee as provisioned by the Industrial Business Act-2076 BS.

Star Hospital denies allegation of handing false PCR reports

Star Hospital Tuesday said the hospital’s lab had not given false RT-PCR reports to people visiting the hospital for tests. Organising a press conference this afternoon, the Hospital said the suspicions raised in the test report of the three persons from its lab were baseless. Of the nine passengers flown to Hong Kong from Nepal via Nepal Airlines, three had their PCR test at Star Hospital. “Test of three passengers done at our labs before their flight had come negative,” said Shail Rupakheti,...

CCMC recommends govt to allow flights in all countries from Nepal

The COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre-Operations (CCMC-OPs) has decided to recommend the government to allow flights in all countries from Nepal after assessing the risk of coronavirus infection. A meeting of the Directive Committee of the CCMC-OPs on today decided to allow flights to other countries besides those countries where flights from Nepal have already begun. After assessing the risk of infection, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation was given authority by the Cabinet meeting...

Security printer complains of discrimination

A security printer has accused that the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) had deliberately barred Nepali companies from participating in the tender to print excise duty stickers. “This tender is against the spirit of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 which has a provision to assume positive discrimination to favour Nepali entrepreneurs to include them in the procurement process,” said Manohar Raj Ghimire, Director of Mirage Printing Solution, a security-printing company based in Kathmandu.

Govt to address contractors’concerns

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Basanta Kumar Nembang said on Tuesday that the government was positive about addressing the demands and concerns of contractors. He said that his ministry was discussing the issue of deadline extension for the contractors with the Ministry of Finance and soon it would be decided. The issues of returning the deposit money and issuing protocols for the COVID-19 situation would also be decided after consultation with other stakeholers like the National...

Efforts underway to bring NCP back on track: Paudel

Finance Minister and general secretary of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Bishnu Prasad Paudel Tuesday said that the circumstances in his party had reached beyond what had been imagined, and efforts were underway to bring the situation on the right track. Speaking at a press meet in Butwal, he said that boundary of dignity had been crossed in the party leadership, and it was essential to safeguard the party unity. "Help and cooperation from everyone are required for this," he added.

COVID-19 recovery rate 91.4%

Nepal is witnessing 15 to 25 deaths due to COVID-19 on a daily basis and on Tuesday it reported 24 fatalities. With 24 new fatalities reported today, official death toll in Nepal has reached 1,361. According to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), the death rate has reached 0.61 per cent. Of the total fatalities, Kathmandu district alone has reported 331 fatalities and 91 deaths were recorded in Lalitpur and 87 in Bhaktapur. According to the MoHP, 668 individuals from Bagmati State,...

Grade 12 exams kick off following safety protocol

The first day examination of grade 12 was held peacefully following all health protocols amidst the fear of COVID-19 pandemic, the National Examinations Board (NEB) stated. A total of 433,000 examinees from 4,105 schools across the country sat for the examinations. Out of them, only 17,000 examinees have appeared for the examination in the centres near their current residence while the rest did so from their own schools.

Nepali girl makes it to BBC's 100 most inspiring women

Sapana Roka Magar, who vounteers in cremating abandoned bodies at Pashupatinath area, has made it to the BBC's list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020. The 18-year-old fearless Magar hails from Bukeni, Barnja of Myagdi district. She started cremating unclaimed bodies and carrying out their last rites at the Pashupati Aryaghat during the nationwide lockdown implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19.