Author: space4knews

April 30, Kathmandu – Former King Gyanendra Shah and his family are currently staying in Pokhara. On Friday, former Queen Komal Rajyalakshmi Devi Shah, along with the royal family, was seen at ‘Chu Mee Chinese Restaurant,’ located inside the 31 Park Hotel in Barahighat, Pokhara. They visited the restaurant for a meal. According to the hotel, their presence enriched the venue with a distinguished and dignified atmosphere.

“Friday afternoon was special for us as we had the opportunity to warmly host former King Gyanendra Shah, former Queen Komal Rajyalakshmi Devi Shah, and the royal family for a meal,” the hotel shared. After dining, Former King Shah expressed his satisfaction with the restaurant’s hospitality, service, and ambiance. He praised Pokhara’s tradition of hospitality and expressed his belief that such quality services will further enhance the tourism sector, according to a hotel staff member.

‘Chu Mee Chinese Restaurant,’ situated within the 31 Park Hotel premises and backed by investment from the Anshuwara Group, is renowned for its premium Chinese cuisine in Pokhara. Local tourism entrepreneurs believe that high-profile visits like this and the positive feedback they generate contribute significantly to strengthening Pokhara’s reputation as a tourism destination.

April 30, Dhangadhi. The Kailali police detained 30 individuals during raids conducted at various hotels in Dhangadhi. The police launched these operations following intelligence reports indicating unethical activities occurring at these establishments. The raids were carried out by a team led by District Police Office spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yogendra Timilsina.

According to DSP Timilsina, the raids targeted hotels located in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City wards 1, 3, 7, and 8, based on the information about ongoing illicit activities. During these operations, 17 women and 13 men, totaling 30 individuals accused of engaging in and promoting these unethical acts, were taken into custody.

The police apprehended seven persons at Black Stone Cottage, four at Samjhana Hotel, five at A M and A Hotel, five at Prince Hotel, six at Karnali Hotel, and three at Everest Hotel in Dhangadhi. The detained individuals remain in custody as further investigations proceed.

The government’s demolition of squatter settlements with bulldozers has left landless Dalits displaced, as they have been provided neither land nor shelter. According to Article 40 of the Constitution, land and housing should be provided to landless Dalits, but this provision has not been implemented. The government has announced a reform program with an apology to the Dalit community. Kathmandu, 18 Baisakh.

“No one has given us rooms because we are Dalits. Where can we find shelter?” said Laxmi Pariyar, met at the squatter settlement in Gothatar (Love Danda). Having lived in the Tripureshwor squatter settlement for 22 years, she moved to Gothatar after the bulldozers razed her previous settlement. At Gothatar, where she lives with her daughter’s family, Laxmi has been searching for a room to rent. Even her daughter’s home feels like a transient place for her.

“I’ve stored our belongings in a scrap yard while looking for a room. No one has given us shelter because we are Dalits. My daughter needs to study, but she can’t attend school,” she lamented. Her family includes 7–8 members. They could not find accommodation in Tripureshwor nor in Gothatar. This is not Laxmi’s only problem; others displaced by previous demolitions and now residing at the Radhaswami Satsang Vyas Ashram in Kirtipur are also searching for rooms.

“They did not provide rooms to us because we are Dalits and squatters. It would have been good if my children could attend school,” said Sukumaya Bishwakarma, who, after failing to find a room near Thankune, sought refuge at the Kirtipur Radhaswami Satsang Vyas Ashram. “I have been unable to find a room for three days. If I had even one, I could have sent my son and daughter to school,” she added.

The Constitution stipulates that land must be provided at least once to landless Dalits. Article 24 addresses rights against untouchability and discrimination. However, landless Dalits face double challenges. Their homes, long established, were demolished by bulldozers, yet they remain without shelter due to discrimination. Currently, 98,502 landless Dalit families have applied to the Land Problem Resolution Commission, established to provide land and organize unregulated settlements for landless Dalits and squatters. The government has announced a reform program, including an apology, to introduce 100 reform initiatives involving the Dalit community in governance reform.

April 30, Janakpurdham – A settlement was reached for NPR 100,000 in the case of a woman who died following surgery at Krishna Medical and Technical Research Center hospital in Janakpurdham. Ragini Devi Paswan, 36, from Banchauri, Balwa Municipality-1 in Mahottari, underwent gallbladder surgery on April 28 and passed away on Friday morning.

According to the deceased’s family, the hospital refunded NPR 80,000 initially submitted for the surgery and paid NPR 100,000 as compensation, thereby resolving the matter amicably.

The relatives accused the police administration of protecting the hospital and said they were compelled to settle the case. Pappu Thakur, ward chairman of Balwa Municipality-1, who represented the family, also confirmed the settlement. Following allegations of negligence by the hospital after the surgery, the family members vandalized parts of the hospital premises.

The deceased’s father-in-law, Dayaram Paswan, stated that the patient was admitted under the condition that laparoscopic surgery would be performed. However, the doctors performed open surgery instead, which the family claims led to her death. They demanded a thorough investigation and legal action against negligent hospital staff along with appropriate compensation. The hospital premises remained tense throughout the day.

However, the family was reportedly forced to settle due to financial constraints, the complexity of legal procedures, and perceived bias of the police administration towards the hospital.

Meanwhile, DSP Ganesh Bam, spokesperson for the Dhanusha police, stated that the case was closed following an agreement between the deceased’s family and the hospital. He clarified that police provided security at the hospital only after the vandalism occurred. “We urged the family to file a formal complaint, but they did not do so,” he said. “Our responsibility was limited to maintaining peace and security after the incident.”

April 30, Janakpurdham – Two individuals have been arrested in Dhanusha with 137 kilograms of marijuana. The detainees are 26-year-old Ganesh Kumar Yadav and 43-year-old Jitendra Kumar Yadav, residents of Laxmipur-6, Mukhiyapatti Musharnia Rural Municipality in Dhanusha. According to DSP Ganesh Bam, a police spokesperson from Dhanusha, the marijuana was recovered around 4:30 AM on Friday near the birthing center in Laxmipur, concealed in five plastic-wrapped sacks.

The police also seized a motorcycle with Indian number plate BR 32 D 5892 that the suspects were using. Along with the marijuana and motorcycle, two mobile phones were confiscated. The Dhanusha District Police Office has confirmed that both individuals are in custody and further investigation is ongoing.

The government has adopted a practice of ruling through ordinances by suspending the House of Representatives session, and President Ram Chandra Paudel has already promulgated three ordinances. Opposition parties have urged the president to block these ordinances, but the constitution does not grant the president such authority, and this move is considered detrimental to democracy. According to political scientists, the opposition can keep democracy alive only through constructive dissent and presenting alternative policies, which requires dialogue and moral strength.

Kathmandu, April 30 – The government has chosen to end the House session early and rely heavily on ordinances. Although this is not unprecedented in Nepal’s parliamentary practice and the constitution does not always consider ordinance issuance unconstitutional, President Ram Chandra Paudel had promulgated three ordinances by Friday evening and reportedly is consulting on holding back five others. Public discourse has criticized the government’s approach of governing through a cascade of ordinances.

The sudden suspension of the session called for April 16 and the recourse to ordinances within 24 hours raise significant doubts about the government’s democratic culture and intent. Furthermore, following the Jana Andolan movement, citizens questioning the repetition of old habits and practices is not unexpected. The government’s failure to communicate clearly and effectively with citizens regarding the necessity and objectives of issuing ordinances has fueled louder opposition voices. Citizens must scrutinize this parliamentary bypass practice, which risks eroding the system’s credibility as it has in the past.

However, the opposition, which itself has previously issued ordinances, now calls the government’s ordinance issuance unconstitutional and has gone further by urging the president to block them without hesitation. In a statement after a Wednesday meeting, opposition parties said, “We earnestly request the honorable president not to approve the ordinances recommended to him as they have been forwarded with the intention of bypassing Parliament.”

It must be clear—urging the president to block ordinances is more harmful to democracy than the ruling party’s decision to suspend Parliament and govern via ordinances. This attitude of the numerically weaker opposition only weakens it further instead of correcting the powerful government. In such a context, the opposition must possess moral authority to hold the government accountable since it lacks numerical strength. That moral authority comes from addressing past weaknesses, maintaining internal party democracy, and raising correct and principled questions. Constitutionally, the president does not have the power to block ordinances.

Democracy is a system of values, and the opposition’s request to the president crosses these fundamental boundaries. Notably, this appeal was made under the leadership of Bhismraj Angdembe, the leader of the parliamentary party selected by Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma in the changed Congress office.

April 30, Bhadrapur (Jhapa) – Cardamom exports through the Mechi Customs Office have increased by 41.58 percent up to the end of Chaitra in the current fiscal year 2082/83. According to customs data, cardamom exports during this period totaled NPR 1,070,718,000. Over the nine months of the current fiscal year, 5,295 metric tons of cardamom were exported, informed Information Officer Ishwarkumar Humagain of the Mechi Customs Office. In comparison, cardamom exports were valued at NPR 825,126,100 in the same period of the previous fiscal year 2081/82.

Meanwhile, tea exports have declined by 26.73 percent in the same nine-month period of the current fiscal year, according to customs statistics. Tea exports amounted to NPR 258,198,500, down from NPR 327,207,200 reported during the corresponding period last year, Information Officer Humagain said. The customs office also reported increases in the export of key commodities: veneer sheets rose by 30.88 percent, chhurpi by 30.35 percent, plywood by 37.73 percent, amriso by 37.33 percent, and exports of iron sheets surged by 1,747.81 percent. Molasses exports also saw a significant rise of 361.35 percent. However, cement clinker exports have completely ceased, registering a 100 percent decline. Overall, goods worth NPR 1,943,535,200 were exported through Mechi Customs up to the end of Chaitra in fiscal year 2082/83.