Nepal

Kathmandu, September 24

The government has issued Local Infrastructure Development Partnership (Operating Procedure) Regulations-2019, for selection and prioritisation of development programmes to be carried out throughout the country.

The regulations have identified 14 programmes which will be carried out in each constituency. The programs include irrigation, landslide control, construction and upgradation of roads, water supply, sanitation, conservation of heritage sites, micro hydroelectricity and electrification.

The programmes also include health facilities, support in increase of agricultural productivity, sports infrastructures, orphanage, housing for homeless, infrastructure development of community schools and projects that promote the interest of persons with disabilities.

As per the regulations, there shall be a six-member Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) in each constituency for coordination and facilitation of implementation and management of the programmes to be conducted as per the rules. The committee comprises a member of the House of Representative, elected under the proportional system, a member of the National Assembly, chief and deputy chief of the District Coordination Committee and chairperson or mayor of rural municipality or municipality where the programmes will be implemented.

Functions and duties of the committee include collecting details of projects that may be implemented and solving problems that may surface in the course ofimplementation of programmes or projects. The regulations prohibit selection and implementation of programmes in a manner to collude with political parties and their sister organisations by sidelining broader interest of people living in the concerned constituency.

There shall be a steering committee led by the PAC coordinator for the purpose ofselection and monitoringof programmes. The regulations require the committee to prioritise the infrastructure projects that create labour-based employment, ensure maximum public participation and reduce disaster risk, and send the project details to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Genera Administration, District Treasury Controller Office and the concerned local level by the end of November, each year. A development programme or project shall have cost estimate of minimum five million rupees.

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Kathmandu, September 24

Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and Communist Party of China today established fraternal relations with the signing of a memorandum of understanding here today.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing two-day ‘Communist Party of ChinaOpinion about Xi Jinping Thought and Ideological Discussion between Nepal Communist Party and Communist Party of China& that kicked off here yesterday.

Communist Party of ChinaInternational Liaison DepartmentDirector Song Tao (left) shakes hands with Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Co-chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal, in Kathmandu, on Tuesday. Photo courtesy: CMPrachanda

The NCPInternational Department Chief Madhav Kumar Nepal and the CPCInternational Liaison DepartmentDirector Song Tao signed the MoU in the presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and NCP Co-chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Song is in Nepal to take part in the discussion.

As per the six-point MoU, the two parties will facilitate exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. The two parties will increase frequency of visits at the worker-level for training in the two countries. The parties will also boost cooperation in terms of experience sharing and expand exchange of visits of youths and local-level leaders.

The two parties will also work to boost relations at the peoplelevel—intelligentsia, civil society organisations and mediapersons — from both the countries. They will also run annual joint programmes on thoughts and ideology.

NCP International Department Deputy Chief Bishnu Rijal said the MoU was signed to renew relations between the two communist parties, especially after the unification of the then CPN-UML and CPN-MC. Before the integration, the CPC had separate relations with the CPN-UML and CPN-MC.

&It is an attempt to further consolidate the relations existing between the two countries and two parties, and take such relations to a new height,& Rijal said. &Nepal and NCP are committed to the ‘One China Policy& and we are moving ahead as per the same commitment.&

The discussion programme, which ends today, is being jointly organised by the NCPSchool, Organisation and International departments, and the CPCCentral Party School, Organisation Department and International Liaison Department.

Around 200 participants from the NCP and 40 from CPC are taking part in the event that mostly dwells on ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era&.

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