PM KHANAL LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF BIGGEST HYDRO POWER PROJECT

PM KHANAL LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF UPPER TAMAKOSHI HYDRO POWE R PROJECT

Kathmandu, 18 May: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal Wednesday laid the foundation of the stone of the Rs.3.5 billion 456 MW Upper Tamakoshi hydropower project in Dolakha.
The biggest power project locally financed, designed and constructed will be completed in 2015.
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SIX NEPALIS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER USA ILLEGALLY ARESTED IN MEXICO

Kathmandu, 18 May: Six Nepalis attempting to illegally enter USA were arrested in Mexico, local television reports said Wednesday quoting agency reports,
They were arrested while attempting to cross the Mexico-US border hiding in two vans with other illegal entrants.
Four Nepalis attempting to illegally cross the Mexicco-US border were arrested in January.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Monitoring by Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB) was weak. In the name of monitoring, even though we declared banks and financial institutions troubled, we couldn’t take action against persons who misappropriated money.”

(NRB Governor Yubraj Khitiwada, Nagarik, 18 May)
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LESS POMP DURING CREDENTIAL PRESENTATION BY AMBASSADORS
Kathmandu, 18 May: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has amended the protocol for the ceremony in which newly appointed foreign envoys present their credentials to the head of state, Lekhnath Pandeywrites in The Himalayan Times.

Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav, who took charge of the ministry two weeks ago, has decided that the Speaker, the Foreign Minister and the Chief Secretary need not attend the function that takes place at the President’s Office.

As per the decision, the presence of the Foreign Secretary, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), concerned division chief at MoFA and Chief of Protocol (CoP) would be enough for the ceremony.

“This is a major overhaul,” said a senior MoFA official. “It can be seen as a part of the country’s transformation to a republic,” he remarked.

During the days of the kings, the monarch himself would receive the letter of credence from envoys. The Prime Minister, Chief Justice among others were expected to attend.

After Nepal became a republic in 2008, the Chair of the House, the Foreign Minister and the Chief Secretary had been attending the function.

“The changes are a reflection of the political change. The protocol for the function has been simplified,” Foreign Secretary Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai said.

As ambassadors of Iceland, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and Slovenia were submitting their credentials to the President at his office on Monday afternoon, Foreign Minister Yadav was in a meeting with US ambassador Scott H DeLisi.

MoFA has also simplified the function.

“Maximum of two minutes will be accorded to an envoy,” Secretary Bhattarai said. Envoys will not have to wait for their turn for a long time. Earlier, ambassadors had to submit their credentials separately, and wait for at least half-an-hour for the process to complete. MoFA has made the changes by emulating practices in other countries, said another official.
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