Author: space4knews

The Nepal Police have arrested Jyoti Prakash Pandey, CEO of Nepal Investment Mega Bank, in connection with the auction of Smart Telecom’s collateral. Four major organizations representing banks and financial institutions have expressed opposition, stating that the CEO’s arrest could negatively impact the stability of the bank. In a joint statement, they appealed to authorities to consider the bank’s reputation and the dignity of the CEO’s position, urging that Pandey be released from custody to allow the investigation to proceed.

On the issue of collateral auction as a means of debt recovery, the four key financial organizations warned that detaining CEOs could create problems for bank stability. Just on Wednesday, the Nepal Police detained Jyoti Prakash Pandey while executing the auction of Smart Telecom Private Limited’s collateral.

Smart Telecom had defaulted on a loan of NPR 460 crore taken from Nepal Investment Mega Bank. As a result, the telecom company’s equipment was auctioned off by the bank to recover the loan. Nepal Bankers’ Association, Development Bankers’ Association, Nepal Financial Institutions Association, and Nepal Microfinance Bankers’ Association jointly issued a statement expressing their concerns over Pandey’s arrest.

The organizations noted that, under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act, 2016 (2073) and policies issued by Nepal Rastra Bank, banks collect deposits from the general public and provide credit to aid the country’s economic growth, job creation, and entrepreneurial development. According to Section 57 of the Banking and Financial Institutions Act, banks have special rights to recover loans when the borrower defaults. They clarified that auctioning collateral in such circumstances is a primary responsibility of banks and their chief executive officers.

“Banks, which operate on public trust by mobilizing general deposits, may suffer reputational damage and instability if CEOs are arrested in the course of debt recovery,” the joint statement read. The financial institutions called on all parties to be sensitive to the bank’s reputation and the dignity of the CEO’s position. They appealed to the concerned authorities to adhere to the principle of ‘listen and then arrest,’ urging that if further investigation is required, Jyoti Prakash Pandey be promptly released from custody to continue the process smoothly.

The CT scan machine installed at the Provincial Hospital in Lahan, Siraha, has yet to become operational due to a shortage of qualified personnel. The hospital administration states that radiologists, radiology technicians, and supporting staff are essential to run the CT scan services. Hospital Chief Dr. Barsha Prakash mentioned that coordination is ongoing with the provincial ministry to address the staffing requirements. April 14, Siraha.

The Ramkumar Sarda Umaprasad Murarka Provincial Hospital in Lahan, Siraha, has been unable to operate its recently installed CT scan machine due to a lack of trained personnel. The service was hastily inaugurated on April 4 but has remained completely non-functional because of the absence of skilled technicians. Despite an investment of millions of rupees, the CT scan machine remains unused, causing inconvenience to patients. Former Medical Superintendent Dr. Ranjit Jha, before his transfer, has been accused by staff of inaugurating the service prematurely without ensuring proper staffing.

Weeks after the inauguration, patients are still unable to access the service, leading to concerns about the hospital administration. Ramnarayan Mehta, chairman of the hospital’s operations and management committee, expressed regret that the hospital is unable to provide the service despite having the equipment. He said, “This provincial hospital is located near the East-West Highway and experiences a very high patient load. Following significant efforts to provide affordable and accessible specialist services to the public, the machine was procured. However, the lack of skilled technicians has created a difficult situation.”

According to hospital officials, operating the CT scan service requires at least one radiologist, one radiology technician, and one supporting staff member. Newly appointed Hospital Chief (Medical Superintendent) Dr. Barsha Prakash informed that coordination with the provincial ministry is underway to secure the necessary personnel. She added that there is an overall scarcity of skilled radiologists across Madhesh Province, so it is uncertain when staff will be available. “We have been persistently following up with the ministry, but as there is a regional shortage of specialist personnel, there is no definite timeline for staff deployment,” she explained.

With no certainty from the ministry on staffing, the hospital administration itself is unsure when the service might begin. Senior Radiologist Dr. Brijendra Kumar Sah was previously assigned to this hospital through provincial staff allocation and is also a local of Lahan. However, on February 14, the province transferred Dr. Sah to the District Hospital in Malangwa, Sarlahi. Sources report he is currently on leave, feeling that he has not been assigned responsibilities fitting his expertise. Meanwhile, due to the lack of specialists, the CT scan service remains offline.

During the tenure of the then Madhesh Province Minister of Health and Population, Shatrudhan Prasad Singh, two CT scan machines were purchased in the fiscal year 2024/25 at an approximate cost of 120 million NPR. According to Dr. Sunil Prasad Kushwaha, then Director General of the Provincial Supply Management Centre, one machine was installed at the Madhesh Health Science Academy in Janakpur and the other at Lahan Hospital. Despite the significant effort and investment, the lack of appropriate staffing has rendered the machine unusable. Patients suffering injuries from highway accidents and other complex conditions are still forced to pay high fees at private hospitals or travel to Biratnagar and Kathmandu for services.

April 14, Kathmandu – Child rights activists have called for maintaining the legal minimum age of marriage at 20 years. They have urged rejecting proposals to lower it to 18 years, citing negative impacts such changes would have on children’s education, health, and overall development. During a discussion event on the role of media organized by the National Child Rights Peace Zone Campaign (CJP) under the ‘Marriage Beyond 20’ campaign, speakers presented data and arguments supporting that the minimum legal marriage age should not be below 20 years.

Tarak Dhital, former Executive Director of the National Child Rights Council, shared findings from various studies showing that lowering the minimum marriage age severely affects educational attainment, mental health, economic status, social welfare, and reproductive health. He cited examples from countries such as China, South Korea, and India, where the legal minimum marriage age is set at 20 years or higher. Dhital emphasized the need for the federal, provincial, and local governments, the private sector, and media professionals to actively implement the Government of Nepal’s Child Marriage Ending Strategy 2072 effectively.

According to Article 39 of Nepal’s Constitution, children must not be forced into child marriage, while Section 173 of the Muluki Criminal Code 2074 criminalizes marriages conducted before the age of 20. Tilottama Paudel, Chairperson of CJP, rejected the argument that early marriage lowers child marriage rates. She warned that early marriage and childbirth increase risks such as infant mortality. Paudel also rejected the notion that marriages under 20 years with mutual consent of both parties should be recognized legally.