Author: Himalaya Post

INDIA-NEPAL PARTNERSHIP IN POST-EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION

Posted by | May 17, 2019 |

India committed US$ 1 billion (US$ 250 million as grant and US$  750 million as Concessional Line of Credit) for post-earthquake reconstruction of Nepal during the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction (ICNR) held in Kathmandu on 25 June 2015. In February 2016, an MoU on Utilization of the Grant was signed, inter-alia, allocating US$ 100 million to support reconstruction of 50,000 private houses and US$ 50 million each for health, education and cultural heritage sectors. Implementation MoUs were signed on 24 August, 2017 between the two Governments. Government of India is supporting 50,000 housing beneciaries in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts, will reconstruct/retrot 70 higher secondary schools and 2 libraries, 157 health facilities and 28 cultural heritage sector projects in 13 districts across Nepal. OPERATION MAITRI The catastrophic earthquake of 7.6 magnitude on 25 April, 2015, followed by hundreds of aftershocks impacted lives of over eight million people across Nepal. India swiftly dispatched teams from the Indian National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Air Force and Indian Army Medical Corps which reached Nepal within 6 hours of the earthquake. Relief supplies rushed from India included 571 tons of relief material, including rescue equipment, medical supplies, food, water, tents, blankets and tarpaulin. Medical teams from India were deployed in various parts of Nepal. India helped in restoring 3 power sub–stations in Kathmandu valley. The total Indian relief assistance to Nepal amounted...

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Railways Relation of India & Nepal, The Agreement Signed

Posted by | May 12, 2019 |

Ambassador Manjeev Puri of India and Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Mr Madhusudan Adhikari witnessed the signing of the Contract agreement between D/Railways of Nepal and Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd of India for supply of Train Sets to Nepal Railways. The Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd (KRCL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of Government of India under the Ministry of Railways and the Department of Railways (DoRw), Government of Nepal today signed the Contract Agreement under which KRCL will supply of two 1600 HP DEMU Train Sets to DoRw for operationalising the railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal. Each train set will comprise of one driving power car, three trailer cars with one air conditioned, one driving trailer car with standard accessories. These train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The 34 kms Jayanagar-Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON (a Government of India PSU) with Indian financial grant under the India-Nepal Development Partnership...

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IFJ and NPU strongly criticized Proposed Media Council Act

Posted by | May 10, 2019 | ,

Kathmandu – The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Nepal Press Union (NPU) have strongly criticized the Media Council Bill and its harsh provisions and called on the government to consult media stakeholders and revise the changes. Nepal government drafts harsh provisions to Media Council bill that new provisions to the Media Council Bill were tabled by the Nepal government on May 9, which will further tighten control on media in the country. Under the proposed provisions, media can be fined up to NPR 1 million (USD 8850) for publishing content in violation of the media code of ethics. Under Section 18, media outlets, publishers, editors and/or journalists can be fined up to NPR 1 million for publishing content found to be tarnishing the dignity or reputation of any individual. According to the bill, any individual can file a complaint against media and journalists at the council, accusing them of violating the code even if he/she is not personally affected by the media content. NPU said that the provisions in the bill endangers jobs of the majority of journalists and converts journalism into praise-machinery. The aim of the bill is not to promote journalism but to censor it. The general secretory  of NPU Ajaya Babu Shiwakoti said with Himalaya Post that bill is passed along with the mass communication bill, which also have provisions critical to press freedom, the...

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Private sector urges SAARC nations to invest in Nepal

Posted by | May 2, 2019 |

The country’s private sector on Thursday urged the business fraternity from SAARC member nations to invest in Nepal, saying that the government has adopted lenient policies to boost investment in the country. They came up with the call during 77th executive meeting and 23rd general assembly of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry that kicked off in Kathmandu. The three day general assembly will discuss various challenges faced by the SAARC region to achieve economic growth. Speaking at the programme, Chandi Raj Dhakal, vice president of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged the private sectors of the region to invest in various potential sectors of Nepal including cement, agriculture and education. “With the government considering ways to welcome foreign direct investment with the amendment of investment and trade related policies, it is the right time for investors to ensure high rate of return,” Dhakal said. Last month, the government conducted the third edition of Nepal Investment Summit to attract foreign investment. The government has introduced three vital legislations—foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, Public-Private Partnership and Investment Act, and Special Economic Zone Act for the purpose. Similarly, it is in process of revising the Intellectual Property Act. Bhawani Rana, president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry said SAARC countries have to step forward to cater to the high potential of natural resources and youth manpower....

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Belt and Road projects: Past, present, future

Posted by | Apr 30, 2019 |

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping nearly six years ago, has made practical progress, with 125 countries and 29 international organizations having signed 173 cooperation agreements under the initiative framework as of March 27. Under the initiative’s five cooperation priorities of policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bond, there are a batch of projects, such as transportation construction and industrial infrastructure, in full swing or already having yielded fruitful results. Here are some of the amazing projects achieved worldwide under the initiative. Infrastructure projects Railways: Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, Indonesia The 142-km Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, connecting the Indonesian capital Jakarta with Bandung, is now under construction, after China and Indonesia signed an agreement in October 2015 to establish a joint venture to build and operate it. As a part of the Belt and Road Initiative projects in Indonesia, the high-speed railway is the first to use China’s high-speed railway standards, technologies and equipment on a foreign line. It being constructed and operated by a China-Indonesia consortium of firms led by China Railway Corp and Indonesian state-owned PT Wijaya Karya Tbk, and is to be funded mainly by loans from China Development Bank. The high-speed rail, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, will have a maximum design speed of 350 km/h and is capable of transport passengers and goods within 45...

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