Kathmandu, September 12

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota today said the government had no plan to force cinema operators to play the national anthem before screening any movie.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing organised at his ministry, Minister Baskota said there was a law governing the process of playing the national anthem and the government would not change the law.

Informing the press of the Cabinet’s latest decisions, Minister Baskota said the government had declared police constable Sanjeev Rai, who was killed while on duty, a martyr and would provide his family ex gratia payment of one million rupees.  The government extended the tenure of Nepal Police Probe Committee formed to investigate cases of public and guthi land grabs by individuals by two months till October 15.

The government decided to allow under-secretaries to function as chief district officers in seven districts —  Gorkha, Kanchanpur, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Dhankuta, Palpa and Kavreplanchowk until they were replaced by  joint secretaries. Minister Baskota said the government decided to treat under-secretaries as confirmed CDOs as they were required to take legal action on certain issues.

The government decided to involve Nepali Army to blast 14 kilometres of the rocky segment on the Khandbari- Kimathanka road section.

It decided to allow Shubha Shreee Agni Cement Industry to use 3.935 hectare national forest land in Banglachuli Rural Municipality-6 of Dang district for 10 years.

Similarly, the government decided to allow Samrat Cement Company Pvt Ltd to use five hectare national forest land of Banglachuli Rural Municipality-3 of Dang district for 15 years.

Nepal Electricity Authority was allowed to use 72.746 hectare national forest land in Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and Taplejung districts to build towers for its 220 KV transmission line project (Basantpur-Change section) for 25 years.

Similarly, the government decided to allow NEA to use 0.48 hectare forest land in Rupandehi district to construct   two-way extension for 132 KV transmission line project for 25 years. The government also decided to allow NEA to use 16.761 hectare forest land in Kapilvastu district to build some towers.

The government decided to set up an Indrajatra Festival Conservation Revolving Fund. Minister Baskota said the fund would have a revolving fund of   Rs 50 million and all three tiers of government would make their contribution to the fund. The government decided to hike the salary of additional post offices.

The government endorsed Equalisation Grants (Second Amendment) Procedure and Special Grants (Second Amendment) Procedures.

Secretary Toyanarayan Gyawali was posted as chief secretary of Province 5.

The government formed two five-member negotiation teams at the Ministry of Finance to hold dialogue with the Asian Development Bank to receive Rs 5.75 billion as subsidized loan under the food safety and agriculture commercialisation programme and equal amount from the ADB as loan assistance under Rural Enterprise Financing Project.

The government approved 25 temporary positions for a one-point service centre for the current fiscal. The government also decided to extend the tenure of Biratnagar Jute Mills Probe Commission by a month.