Nepal News Gazette

The season for travel to Mansarovar, a popular religious destination in China, has begun.

The Rasuwagadhi border point has seen increasing mobility of people travelling to the Kailash Mountain (Parbat) and Mansarovar – considered to be the abode of Lord Mahadev (Shiva) via Trishuli Dhunche and Syafrubesi.

Chief of the Immigration Office, Rasuwagadhi, Murari Niraura said that on an average 40 passengers are travelling to Mansarovar via the border point every day.

Mansarovar is 950 kilometers away from this border point. Chief Niraula said although there are Rasuwagadhi and Hilsa (Humla) border points to go to Mansarovar from Nepal, Rasuwagadhi has witnessed rising number of visitors to religious sites as they are geographically closer to Kathmandu.

According to him, daily around 50 Chinese nationals have been entering Nepal through the border points.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The Department of Archeology has said that the reconstruction of 770 heritage sites damaged by the 2015 earthquake has been completed. A total of 920 heritage sites were damaged in the 14 highly affected and 18 affected districts.

Another 70 sites are currently being reconstructed while the work on 80 sites is yet to begin, said spokesperson of the department, Ram Bahadur Kunwar. The reconstruction of 80 sites could not be started due to lack of sufficient budget, lack of technical human resource and construction materials.

Yakseshwar of Bhaktapur, Pujari Math of Bhaktapur, Sattal of Changunarayan Temple, Vishnu Temple of Hanumandhoka, Degu Taleju Temple of Patan Durbar square are currently being reconstructed. The work on the Jagatnarayan Temple in Shankhamul has been stopped due to a court case.

Spokesman Kunwar said that about 20 of the heritage sites that are yet to be reconstructed are in the process of budget management, with the target of beginning the work in the new financial year. The
department targets to complete the reconstruction of 920 heritage sites in 32 districts by the year 2082-83.

So far, the government has spent six billion rupees for the reconstruction of heritage sites, and another three billion rupees will be required to complete the remaining reconstruction work.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: As high as 14 percent of the total health equipment are left unused in the country, a study has revealed.

The survey of biomedical equipment in Nepal’s public health institutions conducted by the Department of Health Services in collaboration with Lifeline Enterprises showed that 2,645 health equipments in the country are still not installed in the health institutions.

Chairperson of the Enterprises Anjali Tiwariwal said that data were collected from 11 hospitals of Bagmati, Koshi, Madhesh, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim provinces adding that 1,823 health equipments are dysfunctional. The study carried out from October 2023 to April 2024 surveyed the status of 19,174 hospitals.

Bhaskar Rijal, a biomedical engineer involved in the study team, said that 1,174 sets of equipment are unused despite being in proper condition. “Those equipment imported in the time of COVID-19 are left unused for lack of Covid-19 patients,” Rijal added.

Rijal further stated that the CT scan machines of Bir Hospital, APF Hosp
ital and Koshi Hospital have turned worse with severe complaints about the charger board and battery.

Meanwhile, Director of Bir Hospital Dr Santosh Poudel shared his hospital lacks biomedical engineers to repair and run such equipment.

Source: National News Agency RSS

The office of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project has collected more than Rs 25 million in revenue in nine months of the current fiscal year 2080/81 BS.

The office collected the amount as entry fee from tourists visiting the area from July 17, 2023-April 12, 2024.

A total of 8,302 foreign tourists besides SAARC citizens visited the area during the period, according to the office. It collected Rs 24.9 million from them, he added.

Similarly, 152 foreign tourists of SAARC countries had visited the Manaslu Conservation Area during this period. A total of Rs 152,000 revenue was collected from them, said MCAP Chief Santosh Sherchan.

The office has determined Rs 1,000 entry fee for a tourist of SAARC countries visiting the area while Rs 3,000 for a tourist of other countries. It has already collected more revenue in nine months this year as compared to previous year as number of tourists visiting Manaslu conservation area has increased this year.

Sherchan shared that more than 12,000 foreign tourists have be
en expected at Manaslu conservation area this year.

Source: National News Agency RSS

The Humla District Hospital, the only hospital in the district, if facing shortage of drugs resulting in difficulties in the treatment of patients, which has increased with the change in weather lately.

The hospital has faced a crisis in drugs for the past one month. The patients have complained that they are obliged to purchase the drugs from the private pharmacies based on the doctors’ prescriptions.

Presently, the hospital is experiencing shortage of drugs for the treatment of cold, diarrhoea and all other seasonal illnesses.

Dhan Bahadur Tamata, a resident from Kharpunath Rural Municipality-3, said that the patients have not been able to get the drugs even that are distributed for free.

Tamata shared that he is buying drugs from the private pharmacies for his sister, who was admitted to the hospital two days ago. He argued that even the basic medicines are not available in the hospital.

As the hospital lacks medicines to offer to the patients, the poor people in the district are affected as the trea
tment has become costlier for them.

But, the number of patients has increased since the beginning of May, Medical Officer of the District Hospital Surjan Kumar Singh said.

The number of patients reaches as high as 80 on every Sunday and Monday while it crosses 50 on other days.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Hom Lal Shrestha of the Tribhuvan Army Club has won the title of Pathibhara Marathon held today under Taplejung Tourism Festival.

He completed the 48 kilometers race from Phuling to Pathibhara in four hours, five minutes and 27 seconds. Shrestha received Rs 151,111 and a certificate.

Similarly, Tilak Sunuwar of the Tribhuvan Army Club secured second position by completing the distance in four hours 12 minutes and 48 seconds. He received Rs 111,111 and a certificate.

Likewise, Pratap Thamsuhang of the same club secured third position and got Rs 51,111 and a certificate. He completed the distance in four hours 13 minutes and 24 seconds.

A total of 114 people had participated in Pathibhara Open Marathon.

Towards Women Half Marathon, Army Club’s Sunsari Rokaya clinched the title. She completed the 39-kilometer distance from district headquarters-Kaflepati in three hours 44 minutes and 52 seconds.

Kumari Gurung of Phungling-6 became the first runner-up by completing the distance in four hours 22 minutes and
53 seconds. Similarly, Binita Tamang of Mauwakhola rural municipality completed the distance in four hours 27 minutes and 49 seconds and became the second runner-up.

The winner, first runner-up and second runner-up received Rs 81,111, Rs 51,111 and Rs 31,111 and certificate respectively. A total of 47 runners had participated in the Women Half-Marathon, said Coordinator of Pathibhara Marathon Race Management Sub-Committee, Binod Bharati.

The Taplejung Festival that began from May 16 concluded today. The festival was organised with an objective of tourism promotion and development of the district.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The joint meeting of the central working committee and the parliamentary party of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, is being held on May 22.

NC Central Office Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Paudel shared that the meeting was being held to discuss contemporary political developments. He said that the meeting will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday at the party’s central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur.

Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has expressed dissatisfaction over the role of Speaker Devraj Ghimire, accusing him of being biased.

Determining that the role of Speaker Ghimire in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives was not compatible with his position, a meeting of the NC Parliamentary Party held today raised questions over it.

The party questioned the role of the Speaker, saying the Speaker forwarded the agenda of the parliament meeting amidst the protest and slogan of the opposition party. “A situation where a person in the position of the Speaker of the Parliament is used as a party member undermines the parliamentary norms and values. So this meeting draw the serious attention of the Speaker to carryout activities in order to protect the parliamentary norms and values”, reads the decision.

The NC Parliamentary Party meeting blamed the Speaker of forwarding the proposal related to vote of confidence of the Prime Minister amidst protests and sloganeering of the opposi
tion party and not allowing NC lawmakers to put forth their views.

At a news conference organised to inform about the meeting of the NC Parliamentary Party, Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said the Speaker should not behave like a party cadre. The meeting drew the conclusion that parliament meeting should not be run by ignoring the democratic and parliamentary norms and values.

Chief Whip Lekhak mentioned that instead of forming a parliamentary probe committee as per the demand of the opposition parties, it was not appropriate to complete the process of taking vote of confidence even after having enough time for the same.

All opposition parties in the parliament including NC have been demanding formation of a parliamentary probe committee to ensure free and impartial investigation on embezzlement in the financial cooperatives’ money.

Source: National News Agency RSS