Kathmandu, November 12

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya and Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi today left on a five-day China visit.

During the visit, Mayor Shakya and Deputy Mayor Khadgi will attend various programmes organised

in different sister cities of China.

They will attend China International  Friendship Cities Conference-2018 to be held in Hunan City from  November 14 to 16. They will also attend a ceremony in Lhasa tomorrow where they will receive ‘Outstanding Foreign  Friendship Award’ awarded by the city.

The programme in Hunan city is being organised by Chinese  People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, China  International Friendship Association and the Hunan Municipal People’s  Government.

In the absence of mayor and deputy mayor KMC has appointed the chair of Ward No 1 Bharatlal Shrestha as acting mayor. Bharatlal, 74, is the eldest elected member in the metropolis.

Speaking to THT, Ward Chair Bharatlal said, “Although I am only an acting mayor, I feel a kind of joy in taking the responsibilities.” The acting mayor also said that the regular work of KMC would not be affected in the absence of the mayor and deputy mayor.

KMC has more than a dozen departments and more than two dozen divisions.

According to KMC office, the visit will help the Nepali delegates to learn about methods of  developing modern and environment-friendly cities.