By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, July 31: The government has prohibited operation of quarantines and isolation centres in all the community schools from now onwards in line with its earlier decision to begin school enrolment session from August 17, 2020.
Minister for Finance and Communication and Information Technology Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, during a weekly media briefing about Cabinet decisions on Thursday, said the schools could no longer be used as quarantine or isolation facilities.
"The quarantine facilities operated in schools that currently have become empty should be sterilised and used for teaching," he added.
The local bodies have been using the community schools to quarantine people returning from India and other countries in lack of space to operate such facilities in other places.
The government has issued an instruction to prepare school buildings used as quarantine facilities for resuming classes as many quarantine facilities are becoming empty with most people returning home after completing their stay there.
Also, the Cabinet ordered the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to prepare and introduce a separate action plan for beginning regular school activities after August 17.
The government has decided to dissolve central executive committee of Nepal Child Welfare Organisation (Nepal Bal Kalyan Sangathan) and appointed Bidhya Upadhyaya as chairman of the Sangathan.
The government has also formed a new 33-member ad-hoc committee led by Dr. Netra Prasad Timsina by dissolving central executive committee of Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS).
Minister Dr. Khatiwada said that the previous executive committee was dissolved after detection of financial irregularities, acceptance of foreign assistance directly and for failure to maintain records of any decision.
The government has also decided to accept loan and grant assistance of Rs. 5.96 billion

to be provided by the Asian Development Bank for implementing prioritised river basin projects.
The government has given permission to import 10,000 tonnes of sugar to the Food Management and Trading Company Limited and additional 20,000 tonnes to Salt Trading Corporation Limited on 50 per cent tax waiver.
The government has given permission to take space on lease for Nepal’s Embassy office at Chancery of Muscat.
The government has appointed seven colonels of Nepali Army as military attachés and military advisors to various diplomatic missions abroad.
They include Bhuwan Purna Satyal as military attaché for Nepal’s Embassy in Washing D.C., Mohan Chhetri in Beijing of China, Roshan Shumsher JBR in Dhaka of Bangladesh, Ram Chandra Khatri in New Delhi of India, Jagadish Khadka in the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, New York, and Amrit Kaji Gurung in Islamabad of Pakistan.
The Cabinet meeting endorsed the resignation tendered by Dr. Uma Shanker Prasad, chairman of Health Insurance Board, and appointed Dr. Mohan Krishna Shrestha of Malu-2 in Dolakha district as chairman of Nepal Health Professionals Council.