NA to work to reopen Araniko Highway

KATHMANDU, July 24

The government on Friday decided to entrust the Nepali Army with the task of reopening the disrupted Araniko Highway by coordinating with the Chinese team and other security bodies.

The highway suffered damage due to the April 25 earthquake and vehicular movement along the highway has been disrupted ever since.

According to government Spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications Minendra Rijal, on Friday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers decided to hand over the responsibility of opening the highway and resume vehicular movement at Khandichaur and Tatopani among other places connected with the highway.

He said that the Cabinet had decided to form a Coordination and Facilitation Committee under the leadership of Foreign Secretary, including Joint Secretaries of four ministries namely Defence, Home Affairs, Finance and Physical Infrastructure and Transport as members.

He added that the Cabinet meeting also decided to transfer Lieutenant General Rajendra Chhetri of NA Office of the Chief of Staff to the Office of the Chief of General Staff and promote Major General Baldev Raj Mahat, installing him in the vacant post of Lieutenant General Chhetri.

The government on Friday also decided to adjust the miscellaneous services special group employees under the Ministry of General Administration with the General Administration group of the administrative service as per the Supreme Court’s order.

Minister Rijal, however, clarified that the decision to adjust the employees was just government’s approval in principle while a formal decision would be taken later. The Cabinet also approved Civil Servants Welfare Fund Regulations 2072.

Similarly, the government has given approval for accepting $39 million (around four billion rupees) that the International Monetary Fund is providing to the Agriculture Development Programme under the Prosperity Rural Industry and Remittance Project.

The Cabinet also decided to promote Krishna Giri to special class position at the Judicial Council Secretariat along with Shrikanta Poudel to Special Class position of Registrar of the Supreme Court and install them in their respective positions.

Other decisions include appointing Upendra Kumar Adhikary to the post of Chairman of Drinking Water Tariff Fixation Committee under the Ministry of Urban Development and Poshan KC as the Chairman of Minimum Remuneration Determination Committee of the MoIC.