Govt approves national report for UN Human Rights UPR submission

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 27: The government has approved Nepal’s national report for the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which will be submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Thursday at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, took the decision. 

Organising a press conference to make the Cabinet decisions public on Friday, Minister for Communication and Information Technology, who is also the government spokesperson, Jagadish Kharel, said that the Cabinet meeting had sanctioned the visit of the Finance Minister and Secretary of the Ministry of Finance to attend the upcoming joint annual meeting of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in the United States.

The Cabinet accepted several international grants, including, 2.24 million US dollars from the Global Environment Facility (via FAO) for the Forest and Mountain Ecosystem Restoration Project in Sudurpaschim Province, USD 8.7 million from the Global Environment Facility (via FAO) for the Climate-Resilient Transformation of Rice-Based Farming and Food Systems Project in central Nepal, and USD 4.19 million from the UN Capital Development Fund to implement the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility Programme.

According to Minister Kharel, the government also extended by 45 days the tenure of the task force led by former secretary Ramu Prasad Dotel, tasked with recommending uniformity in remuneration and facilities for officials and employees of state-funded institutions, boards, committees, and public enterprises.

Furthermore, Janak Raj Sharma, Deputy Director General of the Inland Revenue Department, has been assigned to act as Chairperson of the Insurance Board until a new arrangement is made, said Minister Kharel.

The Cabinet decided to publish in the Nepal Gazette a provision requiring prior approval for land and housing transactions exceeding Rs. 30 million within six metropolitan and 11 sub-metropolitan cities.

In the Nepali Army, two Lieutenant Colonels were promoted to Colonels, nine Colonels to the rank of Brigadier Generals, while three Brigadier Generals were transferred.

In civil service promotions, Joint Secretary Chiranjeevi Chatuth was elevated to Secretary in the Gazetted Special Class of Nepal Engineering Service Cluster, while Joint Secretary Krishna Prasad Kapri was promoted to Secretary in the Gazetted Special Class of Nepal Administration Service. Similarly, the Cabinet approved an organisation and management survey of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and its subordinate bodies, according to Minister Kharel.

The government has also formed the following Cabinet committees -- Political, Economic and Infrastructure, Administrative, Foreign Affairs, and Social, informed Minister Kharel.

Likewise, resignations submitted by Information Technology Joint Secretaries Dr. Ram Govinda Aryal and Ramesh Sharma Poudel of the Gazetted First Class of Nepal Miscellaneous Service were accepted.