Kathmandu, January 2

The government has decided to acquire land on either side of Kalanki-Maharajgunj-Dhobi Khola road section for maintaining road boundary, 31 metres on each side, as part of the second phase of the Ring Road Expansion Project under financial assistance from China.

Speaking at a press conference organised in Singha Durbar today to disclose the decisions of the December 31 meeting of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota said the government had decided to designate an authority to acquire land for electricity generation, transmission, distribution and extension to be carried out by nine hydropower projects and companies. The land will be acquired in accordance with section 3 and 4 of the Land Acquisition Act-1977.

The government has appointed Naresh Raj Aryal of Kathmandu as banking member of the Debt Recovery Tribunal for five years. The government will expel four Egyptians for overstaying in Nepal. They will be exempt from visa and late fee amounting to USD 4,640 and fine of Rs 200,000.

The government has also decided to provide Rs 1.2 million in financial assistance for 13 persons on the recommendation of the National Human Rights Commission.

Minister Baskota, who is also the government spokesperson said the Cabinet had granted permission to Major General Ragu Bhandari and Joint Secretary Yagya Prasad Bhattarai to participate in the 11th edition of DefExpo India-2020, scheduled for February 5-8 in Lucknow.

Nepal Water and Energy Development Board has been allowed to use 79.27 hectares of national forest in Rasuwa district for Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project for 35 years. The government has appointed Premnath Adhikari of Terhathum and Ashok Kumar Rai of Taplejung as the chairperson and general manager of Sanskritik Sansthan, respectively for four years.

The government has also decided to approve Consumer Protection Rules-2019, Standard on Operation of International Development Assistance in Provincial and Local Level-2019, One Health Strategy-2019, Integrated Legal Aid Policy-2019, Operating Procedure for Administrative Building Infrastructure Development Program of Local Level-2019 and President’s Women Empowerment Livelihood Improvement Program-2019.