Kathmandu, May 4

The government today decided to give the responsibility of constructing the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Road to Nepali Army. A Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal awarded the project to NA.

According to Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Kumar Khadka, NA would mobilise domestic resources to construct the fast track, a national pride project.

Earlier, the government had cancelled a deal with an Indian firm and decided to construct the 76 km fast track using domestic resources.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also gave its nod to the Nepal Electricity Authority to procure LED bulbs worth approximately two billion rupees, according to Minister Khadka. Earlier, Minister for Energy Janardhan Sharma had proposed buying some 20 million LED bulbs from India.

Likewise, the Cabinet also promoted three deputy inspectors general of Armed Police Force Pushpa Ram KC, Narayan Babu Thapa and Ram Sharan Poudel to the post of additional inspector general, according to a release issued by the PM’s Secretariat. The government also promoted pilot Binayak Singh of NA to the post of colonel.

Similarly, the Cabinet also decided to provide Dashain allowance, dress as well as medical expenses to government staffers hired on contract basis. The meeting also accepted Rs 20 billion soft loan from World Bank School Sector Reform Programme.

Likewise, the government also decided to honor veteran culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi with Literary Personality of Century award.

The Cabinet also formed a Federal Administrative Restructuring Committee under the coordination of Minister for General Administration Keshav Kumar Bista. Likewise, a separate facilitation committee was formed under the coordination of former bureaucrat Kashi Raj Dahal.

The government also declared a week-long public holiday from May 8 to 14 in schools and a day-long holiday on May 14 in Provinces 3, 4, and 6 for the first phase of local level elections taking place on May 14, according to Minister Khadka.