Nepal

Kathmandu, October 13

The main opposition party Nepali Congress hosted annual tea reception at its central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur, today. NC has been holding annual tea party since 1977 on the last day of Dashain festival, a tradition started by one of the partyfounding leaders, BP Koirala.

Continuing with the long standing tradition, NC held the tea reception to exchange greetings as other major festivals like Tihar, Chhath, Newari New Year and Uvauli and Udhauli festival are on their way.

The NC said while the tea party was organised nationwide, the party at its central office was for NC leaders and cadres representing Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts.

Thousands of people were seen visiting the tea party which was held from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. All senior NC leaders, including NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudel were present at the party.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Nepal Communist PartyCo-chair and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, other former prime ministers like Madhav Kumar Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai and Jhalanath Khanal also participated at the programme and extended greetings among each other.

Cabinet ministers, head of constitutional bodies, civil servants, high level officers of security agencies, business persons and civil society leaders were also present at the programme.

PM Oli addressing the tea reception said he had good relationship with the NCleader like Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudel for the last 45 years.

Speaking at the event, PM Oli said he along with NC leaders shared common beliefs when it came to protecting democracy.

&We share the fundamental norms and values of democracy and will fight to save it whenever rquired,&he said. Former PMs Dahal, Nepal, Bhattarai and Khanalalso extended their greetings at the programme.

NC president and also former PM Deuba, addressing the visitors said such programs facilitated in easing tension among co-workers and also helped to renew friendship, motivating all to move ahead on the path of nation building with renewed vigour.

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Kathmandu, October 13

Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting with top leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) today said good governance and fairness within communist parties were key elements for success.

The long rule of the Communist Party of China had been possible through peoplecontinued support to the government in recognition of its continued service for the public, said NCP leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha quoting Chinese President Xi, who was present in the meeting.

&We are marching on the path of socialism with our own characteristics and in this process ofachieving the goals of socialism we are also learning how to deal with adverse situation and challenges, and I hope you will also be able to overcome challenge in your struggle to achieve the goals of socialism in your country,& Shrestha quoted Xi as telling the NCP leaders.

The Chinese President also thanked the NCP leaders for marching on the path of political stability and development and assured continued Chinese help for Nepal.

Speaking at the meeting NCP Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal who led the NCP team thanked the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government for extending support for Nepal all along. Underscoring the need of taking the CPC and the NCP ties to newer height, Dahal hoped that Chinassistance to Nepal in its endeavour to achieve prosperity and development would further increase in the days ahead. He also expressed the NCPand the governmentcommitment to one-China policy, according to one ofDahalaides who spoke on condition of anonymity.

President Xi highlighted the need for experience sharing between the CPC and the NCP. Stating that ideology was the most important aspect of a communist party, President Xi said communist parties should always strive to strengthen their ideologies. President Xi said the CPC had won peoplehearts in China through economic development, and he expected the NCP would do the same in Nepal, according to Dahalaide.

After the meeting, President Xi held a separate one-on-one meeting with Dahal for around 15 minutes.

The meeting was followed by delegation-level bilateral talks, MoU signing ceremony and a 15-minute one-on-one meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Oli.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali was also present at the meeting. Other NCP secretariat members present in the meeting were Ishwor Pokhrel, Bam Dev Gautam, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Bishnu Paudel and Jhala Nath Khanal. The meeting that President Xi held with NCP leaders at Hotel Soaltee lasted for around 35 minutes.

XI met all top leaders of the NCP today, but he didn&t not hold meetings with the Samajwadi Party Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal. President Xi had met NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba yesterday.

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Kathmandu, October 13

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has started discussions to resolve the issue ofextra fees taken from students by medical colleges.

&Informal meetings have been conducted to discuss extra fees charged by medical colleges. As theMedical Education Commissionhas already been formed it is working on data collection on the amount and the number of students from whom extra money has been taken,& said Mahesh Dahal, secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. &Two rounds of preparatory meetings have been completed. We will be sitting for a formal meeting within this week where we will discuss in detailabout the issues,& said Dahal.

Students of Chitwan Medical College had staged protest after they were told that those who hadn&t paid extra dues would not be allowed to sit for examinations. They had ended their protest with the signing of an agreement with the management of the college at the District Administration Office on September 21. Medical students and activists expressing solidarity with the agitating students had staged a peaceful protest in Kathmandu demanding stern action against medical colleges charging exorbitant fees from students.

Earlier the government had given a monthultimatum for the medical colleges to return extra fees taken from students. At a meeting held in the presence of Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, on September 23, Minister of Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel and the Ministry of Home Affairs decided to take action against medical colleges if they failed to return extra charges taken from students within a month. The meeting had also decided to file a fraud case against medical colleges under the Medical Education Act.

The sub-committee formed to investigate allegations against medical colleges for charging extra fee from students had earlier submitted its report to a panel chaired by Lawmaker Jay Puri Gharti. The Parliamentary Education and Health Committee had formed the sub-committee to investigate all 21 medical colleges, across the country. The government had put a cap on the amount colleges could take from students. A Cabinet meeting, last year, had decided the fee for MBBS course at Rs 3.85 million in Kathmandu valley and Rs 4.24 million outside the valley. However, medical colleges have been found charging extra money under different headings.

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Kathmandu, October 13

A massive fire engulfed Durbar Marg-based Victory Lounge this evening, destroying property worth millions of rupees.

Victory Lounge is one of the famous clubs among youngsters in Kathmandu. The club caught fire due to electrical short circuit at around 6:00pm today, according to the clubManager Suraj Karki.

The club is located on the fifth floor of a private building. &Property worth around Rs 50 million has been destroyed by the fire,& Karki said.

The club staffers had tried to douse the fire immediately after it broke out. He said, &When it started the fire was small, so the staffers themselves tried to bring it under control. But soon it grew bigger and went out of control and then we sought the help of police.& Karki said the fire brigades had reached the site as the fire started spreading all over the floor, at around 6:45 pm.

Thick flames of fire that fed on alcoholic beverages and other highly flammable materials in the club rose high as hundreds of pedestrians and neighbours watched in fear.

The incident lasted for more than two hours creating traffic jam in the area. Head of Kathmandu Fire Brigade at Basantapur, Lila Raj Gatha Magar said the fire was taken into control at around 8:30pm. &We suspect that everything in the club perished due to fire, but exact assessment of the damage is yet to be made,& said Magar.

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