Six people died and ten others were injured today when a bus travelling from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu crashed in Daunne, Nawalpur district. The District Police Office, Nawalpur, reported that the driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the fatal accident.
The accident occurred as Prime Minister Balen Shah’s government advanced key legislative reforms, including a new housing bill and measures to restructure the civil aviation sector.
Government pushes key legislative reforms
The government has registered the ‘Building Bill 2083’ with the Federal Parliament Secretariat, aiming to ensure the right to housing and provide grants of up to Rs 75,000 to low-income families. This grant includes Rs 50,000 from the federal government and Rs 25,000.
In a move to address decades-long safety concerns and remove Nepali airlines from the European Union’s air safety blacklist, the government also registered two bills in the House of Representatives. The ‘Civil Aviation Authority Bill 2083’ and the ‘Nepal Air Service Authority Bill 2083’ aim to separate the dual roles of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the country’s aviation regulator and service provider. The bills will come into effect 91 days after presidential authentication.
Political developments and international engagements
Preparations are complete for the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention, which is set to begin tomorrow, October 4, at Khulamanch in Kathmandu. The party’s central working committee election will see candidacies registered on Monday, October 5. Gagan Thapa currently serves as the Nepali Congress President.
Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has departed for Washington D.C. at the invitation of World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. He is scheduled to meet with officials from the World Bank, the US Treasury Department, and the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) on October 5 and 6. Discussions will cover bilateral aid, reconstruction efforts, Nepal’s initiatives to exit the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, and broader macroeconomic reforms.
Climate activists staged a protest at Basantapur Durbar Square in Kathmandu, demanding climate justice for victims of the devastating floods in Rasuwa. The floods last Bhadra (BS) claimed over 1,400 lives and left more than 6,000 people missing. Nepali artists are also actively raising funds to support the flood victims.
In other developments, a Cabinet meeting made several key decisions today. These include recommending Nepali ambassadors for 13 countries, approving the ‘Nepali Citizenship Fifth Amendment Regulations, 2083’, placing the Nepal Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and appointing Dirghayu Kumar Shrestha as the Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
Looking ahead, Prime Minister Balen Shah’s first official foreign visit is scheduled for November 22-23 in India. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal departed today, October 3, for Fiji to participate in the Pre-COP leaders’ program in Fiji and Tuvalu on October 5-6.
The full list of the 13 recommended ambassadors and the detailed provisions of the ‘Nepali Citizenship Fifth Amendment Regulations, 2083’ are yet to be publicly disclosed. The complete reasons behind the transfer of businessman Deepak Bhatta from Nakhkhu Prison to Sindhupalchok Prison also remain unclear, as do the detailed action plan and objectives of the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s ‘We Are Coming’ campaign.
