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Morning Starter: Monday, November 4, 2019

Good morning!

Here’s a quick summary of important, ignored and interesting reports from Sunday to kick-start your day:

Important

File: The newly appointed governors (province chiefs) after they are administered the oath of office and secrecy in January 2018.

Governors of all seven provinces sacked

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has relieved governors of all seven provinces from their responsibilities with effect from Sunday.

The decision to this effect was made as per the recommendation of the cabinet.

Governors Govinda Bahadur Tumbahang, Province 1; Ratneswor Lal Kayastha, Province 2; Anuradha Koirala, Province 3; Babu Ram Kunwar, Gandaki Province; Uma Kanta Jha, Province 5; Durga Keshar Khanal, Karnali Province; and Mohan Raj Malla of Sudhur-Paschhim Province have been sacked by the President.

They had been appointed by the Sher Bahadur Dueba-led government on 17 January 2018.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi has criticised the decision as ‘immature and prejudiced’.

Sun Koshi bus accident: Death toll rises to 17

The death toll in the Sun Koshi bus accident has climbed to 17, according to District Police Office, Sindhupalchowk. The identities of 14 among those killed have been identified. The accident occurred when a bus (Ba 2 Kha 7245) carrying more than 40 passengers veered off the road and plunged into the Sun Koshi River at Sukute in Sindhupalchowk district on Sunday afternoon.

Most of them died on the spot. More than 25 have been injured in the accident, police said. The critically injured passengers have been sent to Kathmandu while some are receiving treatment at Sindhu Sadabahar Hospital.

Ignored

Dr Govinda KC speaks with journalists in Kathmandu, on Monday, October 14, 2019.

Govinda KC to start his 17th fast-unto-death today

Medical reform activist Govinda KC has announced that he would start his 17th hunger strike from Monday. He is staging the hunger strike because the government has not fulfilled his demands including the appointment of professionals in the leadership of academic institutions.

The venue of the hunger strike has yet to be decided.

KC, who recently retired from the TU Teaching Hospital, said his fresh hunger strike would be aimed at discouraging the growing trend of appointing political cadres in crucial positions of academic institutions. His other demands include amendments to the recently endorsed Medical Education Act, ensuring transparency in government spending on the medical expenses of political leaders, refunding of the illegal fees charged to medical students by private medical colleges and cutting fees and the number of seats in private medical colleges.

Mahara’s hearing to continue today

File: Krishna Bahadur Mahara

The hearing for former House Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who has been facing rape charges, will continue on Monday after the court could not make a decision on Sunday.

The bail hearing is being done by a single bench of judge Sudarshan Pandey. After hearing the case on Monday, the court will determine whether or not to allow Mahara to post bail and be released from police custody for the duration of his trial.

A rape case was filed at Kathmandu District Court against Mahara on Thursday demanding seven-and-a-half-year imprisonment. The District Attorney Office, Kathmandu had filed the case demanding a maximum of five years in jail for an attempt to rape and an additional two and a half years imprisonment for allegedly committing the crime by misusing power.

Interesting

File: A meeting of Nepal Communist Party Secretariat

NCP finalises by-election candidates

Ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has finalised the candidates for by-elections to be held on November 30. A secretariat meeting of the NCP held in Baluwatar on Sunday finalised the candidates for the by-elections to the House of Representatives, provincial and local levels.

According to the decision, the NCP will field Bidya Bhattarai for the House of Representatives in Kaski constituency-2. Similarly, Bimala Oli will contest the election to the member of the Provincial Assembly from Dang-3 while Devi Prasad Dhakal will contest the provincial by-election from Bhaktapur-1.

Meanwhile, the NCP has decided to lend support to the candidate of Rastriya Janamorcha in Baglung-2, in provincial elections. Likewise, the NCP has decided to field Prakash Rai as the candidate for the post of mayor in Dharan Sub-metropolitan City.

NEA starts procedure to set charging station price

Nepal Electricity Authority has planned to set a different fee for vehicle charging stations. The NEA’s board of directors has said that it has started the process of estimating the fee that the charging station operator can seek from the users. The Electricity Regulator Commission will set the fee upon recommendation from the NEA. As of now, the rate for charging stations has not been set. The estimated cost is likely to be around Rs 7-10 per unit, say NEA sources.

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