Author: space4knews

May 15, Janakpur Dham – In Sarlahi’s Haripur Municipality-5, three laborers died and two others were injured after a wall collapsed while extracting bricks at Krishna Brick Industry.

According to the Haripur Area Police Office, around 6 PM on Friday, the wall collapsed at the Krishna Brick Industry owned by Birendra Chaudhary of Kaudena Bazaar while workers were removing bricks, burying the laborers beneath.

The deceased include 50-year-old Fitai Mansur from Ramwan, Godaita Municipality-7; 35-year-old Shambhu Raut from Godaita Municipality-9; and 35-year-old Angad Kumar from Lakhimpur, India, police confirmed.

Doctors at the hospital declared them dead upon examination. Additionally, 32-year-old Tulsi Mahato and 52-year-old Satyanarayan Mahato, both residents of Malangwa Municipality-7, were injured.

Tulsi Mahato is currently undergoing treatment at the Provincial Hospital in Malangwa, while Satyanarayan Mahato receives care at a local clinic in Majurwa, according to police sources.

The Sarlahi police reached the site promptly at 6:30 PM after receiving information, immediately rescuing and transporting the injured to the Provincial Hospital in Malangwa.

Police also stated that additional search and clearance operations are underway at the scene with the assistance of a JCB machine.

May 15, Janakpurdham: The Madhesh Provincial Assembly was scheduled to convene at 11 a.m. on Friday to allow Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav to seek a vote of confidence.

Following the Janamat Party’s withdrawal of support on April 4 (Baisakh 21), the provincial head had called the first session of the seventh assembly based on the government’s recommendation. However, ambiguity arose when the assembly was convened at 11 a.m., as Chief Minister Yadav withdrew from seeking the confidence vote.

Though the assembly convened for the first session of the seventh term at 3 p.m., the Chief Minister did not proceed with the confidence vote.

The main reason for this was the risk of floor crossing by dissident lawmakers even within his own party, the Nepali Congress. According to a Congress leader, seven provincial lawmakers aligned with Gagan Thapa and Dr. Shekhar Koirala factions were expected to defect, leading Chief Minister Yadav to decide against taking the confidence vote at this time.

Another reason was the evident tension within the ruling coalition. The coalition partner, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal, had not decided to support the confidence vote in its parliamentary party meeting. Hence, Yadav withdrew the confidence proposal during the Procedural Committee meeting.

Congress’s chief whip Kumar Kant Jha has stated preparations are underway for a confidence vote on May 22 (Jestha 8). Meanwhile, the Janamat Party has objected, accusing the assembly of being convened arbitrarily and the proposal of confidence vote being withdrawn abruptly.

Janamat Party lawmaker Sanjay Kumar Yadav accused the assembly leadership of changing the agenda against rules in a ‘hit-and-run’ manner. He also questioned the Speaker’s role, saying, “We were summoned at 11 a.m., but only at noon in the Procedural Committee meeting did we learn that the Chief Minister had withdrawn the confidence vote proposal. While there is a right to withdraw the proposal, such arbitrary withdrawal was evident today.”

There is mounting dissatisfaction within the government coalition over its performance, which was evident during the assembly session. Coalition partners have voiced discontent over schemes allegedly being distributed through letterbook sales via consumer committees.

Provincial assembly member Bechi Lungeli from the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) also alleged that scheme letterbooks are sold openly. She warned, “If this continues, the government might officially run offices to sell schemes through letter inflation.”

Since elections, JSP Nepal has been working to ally with Madhesh-centric parties intending to form a government under its leadership. This is why Janamat Party left the government. The day after Janamat withdrew support, JSP Nepal was also preparing to take a confidence vote but was instructed by its leadership not to leave the government immediately, causing the party to hold back. JSP Nepal is waiting for a favorable moment. There are observable divisions within JSP regarding the government.

The merger with LSP Nepal has made JSP Nepal the largest party in the provincial assembly, increasing demands that it should lead the government. The unification was legally formalized on Wednesday.

Although LSP has legally merged into JSP, joint meetings have yet to be conducted. A JSP Nepal legislator commented, “We should have meetings to decide on the government and move unanimously on the confidence vote, but despite legal unity, meetings haven’t happened, so no decisions have been made.”

Consequently, during the first session of the seventh assembly, representatives of JSP Nepal and LSP separately extended greetings. Former Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut spoke on behalf of JSP Nepal, while Ramita Pradhan delivered a speech from LSP.

Assembly Dynamics

In the 107-member Madhesh Provincial Assembly, JSP Nepal has become the largest party with 25 members—17 from JSP and 8 from LSP.

Previously, the Nepal Communist Party (UML) was the largest with 24 members, followed by Congress with 22, NCP with 15, Janamat with 12, and one member each from Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Federal Socialist Party.

On May 11 (Baisakh 27), coalition partners Congress, JSP Nepal, NCP, and LSP agreed to continue the current government, and accordingly, Chief Minister Yadav was expected to seek a confidence vote soon.

However, by Friday, the situation appeared unstable, which Chief Minister Yadav evidently recognized. Nonetheless, no party in the ruling coalition has decided to withdraw support or pursue an alternative government at this time.

JSP Nepal leader and former Chief Minister Lal Babu Raut stated, “JSP Nepal will continue to support the current government.” He added that Yadav was uncomfortable today, hence the decision to take the confidence vote at a later date.

It is presumed that Chief Minister Yadav postponed the confidence vote awaiting instructions from the party central committee. An NCP lawmaker indicated that national-level talks among Congress, UML, and NCP aim to coordinate provincial alignments across all seven provinces.

While Madhesh has a distinct political configuration, governments in other provinces remain under Congress-UML coalitions. Current plans are underway to incorporate NCP into these governments, restructuring them accordingly, sources said.

April 14, Kathmandu – The Nepal women’s volleyball team is set to commence their campaign at the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship 2026, hosted on home ground, competing against their familiar rivals India.

According to the schedule released by the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA), Nepal shares Group A with India, Kyrgyzstan, and Maldives. Eight teams are participating, with Iran, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh in Group B.

Nepal has regularly competed against India in recent CAVA tournaments, as well as in the South Asian Games and Asian Games, with these two teams being traditional rivals.

In women’s volleyball, the rivalry between Nepal and India has recently become quite prominent. Previously, Nepal struggled even to win a set against India, but now Nepal not only wins sets regularly but has also defeated India in some matches.

Two years ago, Nepal defeated India on home soil in the CAVA Nations League. This year, the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Championship is scheduled from May 21 to 28 at home, with a confirmed clash between Nepal and India.

Being in the same group, these two teams will face each other in the opening match, which is crucial for both to progress to the semifinals. Nepal is aiming to secure a win in this first encounter.

The Nepali team and fans are excited to play India in the very first match. Coach Jagadish Bhatt said, ‘Playing India first makes this game more popular and exciting.’

Bhatt added, ‘Having India as the opening opponent will increase spectatorship and help promote volleyball nationally in Nepal.’

Coach Bhatt believes that playing a strong team like India first on home ground is advantageous for Nepal. ‘It is tougher to play strong teams abroad, but on home soil, starting with a strong opponent is beneficial. If we beat India in the first game, it will be great for us.’

Coach Shrestha noted that the pressure will be greater on the Indian team playing away. ‘They come from a different location having prepared elsewhere, so India will face more pressure. Nepal has the home court advantage.’

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India has had past success on Nepali courts as well, winning the 13th South Asian Games title in 2019 at the Dashrath Rangasala covered hall by defeating Nepal. India also defeated Nepal in the 2024 CAVA Nations League final. Both finals were thrilling and competitive, with Nepal losing narrowly.

The Nepali women’s volleyball team is currently preparing to deliver a strong performance. The initial 20-player squad was trimmed to 16, and the final team list will be announced soon.

Coach Jagadish Bhatt leads the training with assistance from Rupesh Bishtha and Lokesh Budha. Players are enthusiastic to compete at home.

Bhatt said the players are motivated and ready to face India in their opening match. ‘They have the mindset to perform well. Since it’s the first game, and on home court, Nepal will have an advantage.’

This time, several senior players, including regular captain Aruna Shahi, are not in the Nepali squad. This allows new players to gain valuable opportunities on the national team. Players like Niruta Thagunna, Usha Bhandari, Salina Shrestha, Kamana Bishtha, and Sumitra Regmi are the most experienced members currently.

Involving new players has infused youth and energy into the team. Coach Bhatt remarked, ‘We have many new players who are enthusiastic and training well. Good performance could lead to favorable results.’

Nepal will open the group stage against a strong Indian team. The squad believes that a positive outcome in this match will benefit their subsequent games. Bhatt noted, ‘This time, each team will play three matches in the group stage, so performing well can enhance chances of progressing. A good first match will boost morale.’

History of Nepal-India Rivalry

Nepal and India have a long-standing rivalry in women’s volleyball, initially limited mainly to the South Asian Games (SAG) but now extending to other tournaments.

The competition has spanned multiple South Asian Games, the inaugural South Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship held in Kathmandu in 2013, friendly matches, CAVA events, and even the 19th Asian Games.

To date, Nepal has defeated India only once, with India winning the majority of their encounters.

Below is a summary of five recent matches between Nepal and India since 2019, all captained by Aruna Shahi. However, the upcoming contests will feature new leadership for Nepal.

At the 13th South Asian Games in 2019 in Kathmandu, Nepal lost 3-2 to India, marking the first time Nepal won a set against India. Despite strong efforts in the final, Nepal was denied the title due to lack of experience.

In earlier South Asian Games, Nepal had been defeated comfortably by India.

Nepal has faced India four times over the past three years, including two recent CAVA tournaments and the 19th Asian Games. India won three of these encounters, while Nepal secured one win.

In the final of the 13th SAG in 2019, hosted in Kathmandu, Nepal was narrowly defeated 3-2 by India.

In 2023, Nepal lost 3-1 to India at the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup group phase. Scores were 25-12, 26-24, 21-25, 25-11.

During the 2023 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Nepal lost 3-1 to India with scores of 25-23, 26-28, 25-23, 25-17.

In 2024 on home court, Nepal achieved a historic 3-2 win against India during the league phase of the CAVA Women’s Nations League, but lost to India in the final.

At Dashrath Rangasala’s covered volleyball hall in Tripureshwor, Nepal won the league match against India 3-2 with set scores of 25-18, 12-25, 25-17, 18-25, 15-13.

In the final, Nepal was defeated 3-2 by India, with India winning the title by 23-25, 25-14, 22-25, 25-12, 15-5.

Once again, Nepal will compete against India on home soil. As India is their first opponent in this tournament, Nepal aims to start off with a splendid victory.

Head-to-Head Record

Up to now, Nepal and India have competed internationally and in friendly matches 10 times. Nepal has won only one of those games, with India victorious in nine.

The first encounter was in 1998 at the Rupabihini Women’s Volleyball in Sri Lanka, where Nepal lost straight sets to India. Subsequent losses followed in the South Asian Games of 1999, 2006, and 2016. Nepal also lost to India in the 2014 first South Asian Women’s Invitational Volleyball Tournament held in Kathmandu.

However, Nepal has increasingly challenged India in recent years, notably taking India to 3-2 in the final at the 13th South Asian Games in 2019.

Likewise, Nepal lost to India in the 19th Asian Games and CAVA Women’s Volleyball tournaments in 2023 but managed a group stage victory over India in the 2024 CAVA Women’s Challenge Cup.

Additionally, Nepal and India have played some friendly matches, mostly ending in India’s favor.

1 Jestha, Bajura – The fame of Badimalika, a religious and tourist destination, is continuously growing. Recently, the number of visitors traveling to Badimalika has increased significantly. Prime Minister Balen Shah’s statement during his election campaign in Dhangadhi, Kailali, describing Badimalika as the ‘Father of Switzerland,’ has further popularized the site.

Reports indicate that the number of religious tourists has risen considerably just days after Prime Minister Balen’s remarks. Guide Nar Bahadur Rawal has also confirmed this increase. Additionally, the government has included Badimalika in its list of 100 priority projects.

Situated at an altitude of 4,200 meters above sea level, Badimalika Municipality’s Mayor Amar Bahadur Khadka has also noted the increasing influx of tourists and pilgrims due to heightened publicity.

“Previously, the main worship occurred only the day before Janai Purnima, which limited the arrival of devotees and tourists. Now, pilgrims visit here regularly,” he stated. There is a strong belief among visitors that visiting Badimalika fulfills their wishes.

The picturesque Triveni area, the 22 Patan, colorful blooming meadows, farmland, Vishnupani, and Dharmadwar are some of the famous places within the Badimalika region. There is a popular legend that paddy planted during the ancient battle between goddess Bhagwati and demon Maisasur can still be found growing in the area’s fields. Furthermore, rare bird species such as Danphe, Munal, musk deer, and Jhalar, along with other wildlife, inhabit this region.

The site also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding Himalayan mountain ranges.

May 15, Kathmandu – To halt delays in project implementation caused by judicial proceedings, the formation of a ‘Dedicated Fast-Track Infrastructure Bench and Adjudication System’ has been recommended.

Under governance reforms approved by the Council of Ministers on March 26, 2026, concerning the implementation of 100 agenda items, the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs established a committee aimed at swiftly and efficiently resolving cases related to infrastructure development projects that fall under the judiciary.

In alignment with a ministerial decision, a high-level committee, chaired by the ministry’s secretary, has submitted its report to the government.

The committee’s report recommends appointing a separate fast-track infrastructure bench comprising expert judges for petitions concerning land acquisition, compensation determination, and contract processes linked to infrastructure projects pending before the Supreme Court or High Court.

This bench would be mandated to conclude hearings and proceedings within 60 days from the date the petition is filed, establishing a clear timeline for effective judicial resolution.

For Supreme Court cases, it is proposed that the Chief Justice oversees this bench, and for High Court cases, justices appointed by the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice will supervise it. The committee also suggests that ongoing monitoring mechanisms be established to ensure compliance with the 60-day timeline. The infrastructure bench is advised to be constituted from a pool of expert judges specialized in the relevant fields.

Recommendation for Infrastructure Adjudication to Conclude Cases Within Three Months

The committee concluded that the chronic obstruction of infrastructure projects is a serious issue, causing damages worth billions.

According to the committee, hundreds of projects nationwide remain stalled for years due to pending litigation, depriving the public of essential services.

The current judicial structure experiences significant delays in resolving technical and complex construction disputes, leading to halted development projects, increased costs, and adverse effects on communities, the committee noted.

To ensure uninterrupted development, public interest prioritization, and quick and effective justice delivery, the committee recommends establishing an Infrastructure Adjudication Council.

This specialized body, composed of expert judges with technical expertise, would be tasked with resolving disputes within three months, covering conflicts among project partners, bank guarantees, and matters under the arbitration law.

The adjudication system is also proposed to handle disputes arising from public procurement, public-private partnerships, and conflicts involving contractors, consultants, suppliers, workforce, and local communities.

It should also address issues related to construction material excavation, maintenance, operational responsibilities, right of way, royalty distribution, and project operational status.

The Infrastructure Adjudication Council would be chaired by a High Court judge and include experienced specialist members and engineering experts.

The committee has also recommended creating legal and institutional frameworks to decide infrastructure-related cases within two months.

For matters involving land acquisition, property evaluation, and compensation determination, the lower courts should fast-track the process to ensure decisions within two months of filing, with the same timeframe applying to appeals.

Orientation Programs for Judges on Infrastructure Projects

The committee highlighted the need for orientation programs to educate judges about aspects of development project disputes, ensuring they understand all stakeholders and uphold the effectiveness of timely service delivery.

Suggestions were made to amend the Public Procurement Act, Civil Procedure Code, and Arbitration Act to support this initiative.

Additional amendments to the Judicial Administration Act, Summary Procedure Act, Civil Procedure Code Regulations, and Court Rules were also recommended to strengthen effectiveness.

Ensuring Project Work Continues Amid Litigation

The committee proposed principles to allow projects to continue despite ongoing litigation, including escrow accounts for disputed funds, enforcing a no-clearance-no-tender policy, establishing onsite dispute resolution boards, and timely arbitration mechanisms.

They also suggested implementing legal grounds for testing public interest, re-tendering long-delayed projects, ensuring accountability, and promoting digital monitoring and transparency.

Amendments to the Supreme Court Rules, 2017, were recommended to ensure full text of decisions is made available within 21 days, restrict undue postponements of hearings, and allow only those with a genuine stake to be named as respondents.

Key Issues Highlighted by the Committee

·       Delays in project commencement due to ongoing litigation

·       Problems caused by interim court orders

·       Delays in resolving project-related cases in the fast-track system

·       Prevalent practice of seeking remedy through writ jurisdiction without proper dispute settlement mechanisms specified in contracts

·       Lack of accountability towards general public interests