Govt prohibits strikes in essential services

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 2: The government has prohibited strikes in essential services. 

Speaking at a press meet organised to make the Cabinet decision public, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung informed that a meeting of the Council of Ministers held on December 31 at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) on Tuesday, decided this.

Based on a proposal by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Cabinet decided to ban strikes in essential services and to publish the notice in the Nepal Gazette.

The government has also approved the "Energy Development Roadmap-2024"  aiming to produce 28,500 MW of electricity by 2035 A.D.  According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the roadmap also plans to export 10,000 MW of electricity to neighbouring India within the next 10 years. 

Further, the government has decided to observe the National Anti-Money Laundering Day every year on Magh 14 of the Nepali calendar, according to Minister Gurung.

The Cabinet meeting decided to appoint Chhatra Bahadur Katuwal of Bajura as executive director to the Special Economic Zone Authority, Nepal. Also, the government has appointed Dhruba Acharya of Rupandehi as Vice-chairman of the National Sports Council.

The Cabinet meeting also transferred AIG Tek Bahadur Tamang to the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari from the Crime Investigation Department of the Police Headquarters, making him the chief of the office. Chief in Ranipokhari Police Office remained vacant after compulsory retirement of AIG Kiran Bajracharya on Tuesday.

The government has also given permission to run Panchkhal Special Economic Zone under the public-private partnership model by allowing to develop infrastructure from the private sector in a government provided land area, according to Minister Gurung.

The government has also endorsed 13-member delegation visit led by Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Maha Prasad Adhikari to Philippines in a Face-to-Face meeting to be held from January 12 to 15. The Cabinet meeting granted permission to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport to hand over the rights to construct 800-metres tough rocky road section to Nepali Army in Sallisalla-Simikot section along Hilsa-Simikot road project.