Bhaktapur, July 26: The CPN (UML) Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam has said that the return of former President Bidya Devi Bhandari to the active politics was unacceptable for UML.
At an interaction programme organized by the Nepal Press Society in Bhaktapur today, he said that Bhandari’s membership in the UML and political activism was an insignificant issue for his party.
He further mentioned that recently held central committee meeting of the UML made proper decisions regarding the 70-year age limit, two-term limit for executive positions, and the prohibition of the former president’s active participation in politics.
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Communications Minister asks stakeholders to work for equitable AI development
Kathmandu, July 26: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung said that Artificial Intelligence (AI), when democratized, is not just a tool but a global economic force adding that its dividends in productivity and innovation must reach all societies.
Addressing the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025 in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Minister Gurung said Nepal was committed to open-source collaboration and ethical AI entrepreneurship, and called on governments, academia, and industry to work together for equitable AI development.
He said Nepal was entering a defining phase of technological transformation and added that Nepal’s National AI Policy was in its final stage of approval. “This policy envisions a future-ready Nepal that leverages AI for inclusive development, ethical innovation, and global competitiveness,” he elaborated.
He said setting up a National AI Center to coordinate strategy, governance, and partnerships; AI Excellence Centers in top universities for research and innovation; Provincial AI Innovation Hubs to decentralize access and build local capacity; AI integration in governance, education, agriculture, disaster response, and healthcare;
mandatory AI and digital skills programs across all education levels to empower youth and ambitious national projects in LLMs and Computer Vision are the key initiatives of Nepal’s National AI Policy.
The growing gap between AI-advanced economies and digitally underserved nations must not become the next frontier of inequality, he added.
“Nepal seeks global partnerships for compute access, multilingual model development, talent exchange, and innovation across the Global South,” Minister Gurung viewed.
According to Minister Gurung, Nepal strongly supports the UN-led multilateral AI governance mechanism; principles of open cooperation, non-militarization, and human rights protection and the meaningful representation of Global South voices in setting global AI norms.
He said Nepal emphasizes the need for greater focus on the application of AI to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities, elderly populations, women, and children. “Equally important is the promotion of AI systems that support local and regional languages, ensuring inclusivity, cultural preservation, and broader societal engagement.”
Gurung added that we believe that truly ethical and equitable AI governance must leave no one behind, and we urge the global community to incorporate these considerations into the final Action Plan.
Likewise, he said Nepal offers clean energy, natural cooling, a skilled youth population, and political will — making it a promising destination for AI R&D centers; data and compute infrastructures; AI-enabled GovTech and EduTech and AI-driven services.
He also urged the global technology leaders, VCs, and development partners to collaborate in Nepal’s AI-powered transformation.
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Gandaki Province Chief condoles demise of former Chief Gurung
Gandaki, July 26: Gandaki Province Chief, Dilli Raj Bhatta, has expressed grief on the demise of former Gandaki Province Chief, Prithvi Man Gurung. He also paid tribute to late Gurung and extended condolences to the bereaved family members.
Suffering from cancer, former Province Chief Gurung passed away on Saturday morning at his residence in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-26, Chitwan. He was 76.
Born in Kaski district, his family had migrated to Bharatpur. In a condolence message, Province Chief Bhatta mentioned that he was stunned from the untimely demise of Gurung adding that passing away of Gurung was an irreparable loss.
Province Chief Bhatta extended heartfelt condolences on his own and on behalf of Gandaki Province folks, and wished for strength to endure such a loss to the bereaved family members and relatives of late Gurung.
Gurung’s final rites would be performed on Sunday, according to a family source. Gurung was appointed the Gandaki Province Chief on July 27, 2021 and remained on the post till March 14, 2024.
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‘Govt will make entire investment to provide drinking water supply’
Tansen (Palpa), July 26: Minister for Water Supply, Pradeep Yadav, has shared that there would be 100 per cent investment of the government in drinking water being provided to the citizens.
Addressing the 10th annual general meeting of the Tansen Drinking Water Consumers’ Committee at Tansen of Palpa on Saturday, Minister Yadav mentioned that certain per cent of tax being imposed on drinking water for the citizens would not be levied.
“The tax being imposed on lifting drinking water under the ‘people’s water, government’s investment concept’ will now be levied. We have made arrangement that the federal government will bear 85 per cent of the investment while the province or local government will share 15 per cent,” he opined.
Minister Yadav argued that the provision was scrapped since drinking water was the people’s one of the fundamental rights and the government would bear the entire cost of this.
“The ministry is effortful to effectively employ 42,000 consumers’ groups nationwide. We are working in close collaboration with the consumers’ groups,” he added.
Minister Yadav reiterated that it was the government’s sole responsibility to provide safe and accessible drinking water to the citizens.
Drinking water supply and sanitation is not only the primary need of the people but a fundamental pillar for sustainable development, he added.
Conservation of water sources was a key issue at present in the context of drying up of water sources due to climate change and erratic climatic conditions.
He also promised to provide budget for the construction of water tanks with the capacity to store 5 million litre of water in Tansen.
Member of Parliament Thakur Gaire and Lumbini Province Assembly Member Bir Bahadur Rana also shared their efforts made to address the drinking crisis in Tansen.
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Approval needed from disaster management committee for fixing deep boring in Parsa
Parsa, July 26: The district disaster management committee in Parsa has unveiled a mandatory provision of taking prior approval for installing deep boring water projects.
A meeting of the committee presided over by Chief District Officer of Parsa, Ganesh Aryal, on Saturday took this decision as random installation of the deep boring water projects was rife in the district.
Likewise, the District Agriculture Knowledge Centre would submit details about the status of paddy seedlings plantation, status of transplanted paddy seedlings in the farms and the loss incurred by the farmers for their failure to transplant the paddy seedlings due to drought as well as the assessment of loss for providing compensation to the farmers, CDO Aryal said.
The Assistant Chief District Officer of Parsa, Babulal Regmi, said that a decision was made to write to the Ministry of Home Affairs to request to the Government of India to provide 850 cusecs of water from the Gandak Canal as per the Gandak Agreement between Nepal and India since Nepal was not getting the volume of water as per the agreement.
“Present status of water supply from the Gandak Canal would also be monitored,” Assistant CDO Regmi added.
Furthermore, the number of beneficiaries from the installed deep boring water projects and the present status of such deep boring projects would be monitored, he added.
Similarly, a nine-member committee was formed under the chair of Chief of District Coordination Committee, Niranjan Sah Sonar, to immediately coordinate and facilitate the wter supply and irrigation facility in the district, Regmi informed.
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Home Minister consults people’s representatives, CDOs of disaster-hit zone
Kathmandu, July 26: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak held discussions with mayors and chairpersons of the local levels and the Chief District Officers from the disaster-hit districts.
In a virtual meeting organised by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Saturday, Home Minister Lekhak stated that Madhes Province was declared the disaster-hit area at the proposal of the Home Ministry and directed the chief district officers for the coordination and facilitation in the tasks of identifying the areas hit by drinking water and irrigation shortage as well as the places to install deep tube-well and deep boring.
Sharing that distribution of water from tankers should be continued at the places where there are no water sources or the places where water sources had dried up, Minister Lekhak instructed while asking the bodies concerned to use tankers from the private sector and the security bodies too for water distribution.
“It is necessary to strictly monitor involvement of wrongdoers’ in cartel and black marketing by taking advantages of the crisis,” the Home Minister directed to pay attention on it.
Similarly, Executive Chief of the Authority, Dinesh Prasad Bhatta, shared that the Authority has already requested the UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs and Red Cross Society to shift their programmes in Madhes.
Likewise, Mayors, Chairperson and Chief District Officers from the crisis-hit districts briefed about the situation in the respective areas while sharing the ongoing efforts initiated to resolve the problems.
The cabinet meeting on July 24 had declared Madhes Province as the disaster-hit zone for three months. Earlier, Madhes Province Government had on July 10 declared Madhes Province as drought-hit zone after water sources dried up resulting the problem of drinking water and irrigation facility.
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Ancient artifacts handed to Parawat Mahavihar Conservation Society
Kathmandu, July 26: The National Museum on Saturday handed over three ancient artifacts (artworks) returned from the USA for restoration to the Parawat Mahavihar Conservation Society at Itumbahal in Kathmandu.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh and Museum Chief Aruna Nakarmi jointly handed over those ancient artworks to the Conservation Society.
The returned artworks (Thangka) include a 300-year-old Chintamani Lokeshwor, a 575-year-old Gagansingh Bharoya and his wife’s Thangka (Paubha), and a 321-year-old Bhairav with Keshchandra. These artworks were stolen in 2037 BS.
The artworks were brought back to Nepal from the USA after 45 years, in 19 Falgun and were placed in the National Museum.
While handing over the artworks, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked everyone who worked to bring back Nepal’s ancient artworks and urged for their preservation.
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Parties must be serious on economic, social reforms: Khanal
Kathmandu, July 26: Respected leader of the CPN (Unified Socialist) Jhalanath Khanal has said that the political parties must be serious about economic and social reforms in the country.
At an artist recognition programme organized by Global Star on Saturday, former Prime Minister Khanal mentioned that there needs a plan with the parties to achieve economic prosperity by utilizing resources such as agriculture, minerals, and water in the country.
Leader Khanal emphasized the need to develop entrepreneurship and empower youth to make the nation prosperous. He also stated that Nepali art was equally popular abroad, and highlighted the importance of preserving the languages, literature, art, and culture of all castes and communities in foreign countries.
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‘Public surveillance needed for better quality of development projects’
Lumbini, July 26: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel on Saturday monitored different development projects run under the Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City in Rupandehi district.
Minister Paudel is in Rupandehi district since Friday for the inspection of the development projects being implemented in Rupandehi constituency no. 2.
Paudel is also scheduled to visit different development projects on Sunday as well.
On Saturday, Minister Paudel discussed with the stakeholders and local community about the construction of the proposed Ujir Singh Stadium at Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City-13 to be built by the Lumbini Province Government.
On the occasion, he vowed to advance the construction of the stadium by clearing all hurdles. DPM Paudel assured the community members that the development projects proposed for in Butwal would not face budget crunch.
“We will launch a campaign to make Butwal’s road dust-free and there will be no budget crunch for them. The locals should carry out monitoring about the quality and timeline of the development projects,” he opined.
DPM Paudel also visited Agricultural Produce Centre proposed for the construction at Karsaghat in Butwal-15 on Saturday.
A target has been set to construct physical infrastructures by acquiring the land for the centre in the current fiscal year. More than Rs 4 billion would be invested for this project.
Similarly, he also inspected an under-construction Ramnagar-Pharsatikar Road, Nayagaun Drinking Water Project and Belbas-Jholungepool Road.
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