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 A total of 17,691 adolescent girls in Bhaktapur are expected to get the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer.

According to Shantiram Khatiwada, Chief of the District Public Health Office Bhaktapur, girls aged 10 to 14 in the district will be vaccinated under the HPV vaccination nationwide campaign that will commence on February 4.

Of four municipalities in the district, 4, 162 girls in the Suryabinayak, 6, 742 in the Bhaktapur, 4, 203 in Madhyapur Thimi and 2, 584 in the Chagunarayan will be vaccinated against the cervical cancer.

Of them, 16, 628 from grade six to 10 will be picked from schools and 1,063 who are out of schools will also be covered in the vaccination drive.

He said that the vaccine typically causes no side effects.

However, in the rare event of any issues, the Bhaktapur Hospital, Khwopa Hospital, Surya Binayak Municipal Hospital, Changunarayan Municipal Hospital and Nepal Korea Friendship Municipality Hospital are prepared to respond.

The government will be launching the campaign targeting 1,688,900 girls across the country, coinciding with the World Cancer Day on February 4.

It will conclude on February 18. Studies show that the HPV vaccine can prevent up to 90-95 per cent cervical cancer cases.

Cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in Nepal, followed by breast cancer. 

Annapurna Media Network (AMN) has launched its annual subscription campaign, “Jasle Padchha, Awasya Parchha”, from Monday.

Readers renewing their subscription or becoming new annual subscribers to Annapurna Post and The Annapurna Express will receive guaranteed gifts upon subscribing.

The annual subscription fee for both newspapers is set at Rs 3,400 each. “Subscribers will receive gifts immediately upon subscribing,” said Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, Head of the Sales and Circulation Department at AMN.

According to Shrestha, annual subscribers will receive a voucher worth Rs 1,500 for Wonderland, where they can enjoy thrilling games, as well as a movie voucher from INI Cinemas.

Alternatively, subscribers can opt for scratch cards offering cash discounts ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,400, along with INI Cinemas movie vouchers and tickets for Annapurna Cable Car.

The campaign also offers exciting weekly and monthly prizes. Weekly lucky draw winners will receive OPPO mobile phones and Rs 5,000 vouchers for Tranquility Spa.

Monthly winners will be rewarded with washing machines and Rs 5,000 Tranquility Spa vouchers. The campaign, which is valid nationwide, will run for four months.

On July 4, the government set the support price for paddy: Rs 3,410.51 per quintal for coarse paddy and Rs 3,580.62 per quintal for medium-grade paddy. Hearing this news, Devi Chaudhary, a farmer from Lamki Chuha-4, Kailali, was delighted. Having cultivated paddy on almost eight bighas of land, Chaudhary was hopeful for a good income this year. The government’s announcement of a support price higher than the Rs 3,100 per quintal being offered by traders brought joy to Chaudhary and many other farmers.

However, the government’s announcement didn’t translate into tangible benefits for Chaudhary. The government’s paddy purchasing centers, run by the Food Management and Trading Company Limited, were not accessible to him. As a result, Chaudhary had to sell his paddy to private traders for Rs 200 less per quintal than the government-set price. Adding to his disappointment, Chaudhary said he incurred further losses by storing the paddy at home for nearly two months, hoping for better prices. “I was thrilled when I heard the government had announced a support price,” Chaudhary said. “But the purchasing centers were far away, and the transportation cost was too high. That’s why I had to sell my paddy to private firms at a lower price. On top of that, storing the paddy at home for two months resulted in additional losses.”

Chaudhary explained that his stored paddy suffered losses due to drying, rodent damage, and birds. Initially, he had been cultivating paddy on three bighas but expanded to eight bighas this year by leasing additional land. Favorable weather, timely wedding, adequate fertilizers, and irrigation resulted in a harvest of over 200 quintals. Despite this, selling his paddy for Rs 200 less per quintal than the government’s price left him disheartened. He believes the government’s support price is merely a popular slogan. 

“The government should ensure that it buys paddy from farmers easily if it announces a support price,” Chaudhary said. “If farmers don’t benefit, it’s just a cheap slogan.” He added that while the government declares a minimum support price before planting begins, common farmers are unable to benefit due to a lack of designated purchasing centers, limited quotas for government procurement, and the inaccessibility of these centers.

Farmers engaged in large-scale commercial farming manage to arrange seeds and fertilizers on their own. However, average farmers face challenges and often take seeds and fertilizers from traders on the condition of selling their paddy back to them. Many even take cash advances. 

Farmers who take seeds and fertilizers on credit from traders for nearly four months are compelled to sell their paddy back to these traders at a lower price. “We’ve been buying seeds from private firms and selling our paddy to the same trader for years,” said Puran Pandey, who was unaware of the government’s support price. “The relationship with the trader and the credit taken for seeds and fertilizers means we continue to sell our paddy locally, even at a lower price.”

The lack of access to the Food Management and Trading Company’s designated purchasing centers has further deprived common farmers of the benefits of the support price.  

“From May and June, traders start investing in seeds, fertilizers, and even cash for farmers,” said food trader Raghu Upadhyay. “Since traders invest upfront, they expect some profit. There are risks, too—whether farmers will produce a harvest or repay the amount. That’s why traders buy paddy at a price lower than the support price. Additionally, government purchasing centers are far from farmers’ reach.”

Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) welcomed the outcome and urged for speedy implementation of the India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) on Trade, Transit, and Cooperation to Combat Unauthorised Trade that was held in Kathmandu on January 10-11.

A meeting of the Inter-Governmental Sub-Committee (IGSC) on Trade, Transit, and Cooperation to Combat Unauthorised Trade at the level of Joint Secretary had earlier held on January 12-13, 2024 in Kathmandu.

The Nepali delegation was led by Secretary Gobinda Bahadur Karkee, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies of Nepal and the Indian side by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. Apart from secretaries senior officials from different Ministries and relevant departments of both the countries, including the Embassy of India in Kathmandu took part in meeting.

NICCI welcomed the outcomes of the IGC, a bilateral mechanism aimed at strengthening trade and investment ties, that did a comprehensive review of the whole gamut of bilateral trade and economic relationship, including mutual market access issues, IPR and duty related issues, reads a statement issued by NICCI.

NICCI is hopeful of renewed enthusiasm in trade and transit as the IGC also discussed on review of the Treaty of Transit and the Treaty of Trade, proposed amendments to existing agreements, the harmonization of standards and the synchronized development of trade infrastructure including the electrification of the Raxaul-Birgunj rail line.

NICCI also welcomed Indian decision to supply 200,000 MT wheat that was requested by Nepal. 

In the meeting, the Indian side agreed that as per prevailing regulations of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, maximum axle weight of 18.5 tonnes for two axle vehicles and 28 tonnes for three axle vehicles may also be applicable to Nepali vehicles with respect to the cargo-in-transit on Kakarbhitta (Nepal)-Banglabandha (Bangladesh) via Phulbari (India) route, which is a welcome step, according to NICCI. 

Likewise, in response to Nepali side’s requests, the Indian side informed that Sal Seeds and Chayote have been included in the Plant Quarantine Order of India. The request for Jatamasi - Root extract; Sugandhkokila berry extracts; Sugandhwal Rhizome extract and Timur berry extracts into the list of Processed Items (Plant Products) has also been accepted, which is also welcome move by the India.

During meeting, at the Indian side’s request, Nepali side expressed openness to reviewing the documentation regarding the reclassification of products like EPAQUE and POLYHIDE 28 in their technical systems. The Indian side highlighted the problems faced in milk exports to Nepal. The Nepali side agreed to consider the request of Indian side positively for milk products not adequately produced in Nepal such as whey and cheese.

NICCI finds it positive that the meeting welcomed bilateral initiatives aimed at reinforcing the seamless cross-border connectivity between India and Nepal including through construction of new Integrated Check Posts and railway links. Both sides expressed a commitment to taking forward bilateral connectivity, reflecting the shared vision of prosperous bilateral trade. Both sides agreed to form a Joint Working Group for discussion on the acceptance of Online CoO with Nepal and SAFTA.

NICCI is of the view that India as the largest trade and investment partner for Nepal, its contribution to Nepal will further fortify the economic and commercial linkages between the two countries.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 15. 54 points to close at 2, 594. 13 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 2. 56 points to close at 441. 42 points.

A total of 13,870,579-unit shares of 322 companies were traded for Rs 6. 65 billion.

Meanwhile, Barahi Hydropower Public Limited (BHPL) was the ​​​​​​top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (ANLB) and Sindhu Bikash Bank Ltd (SINDU) were the top losers as their price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 30 trillion.

Manang, Jan 13: Snowfall has occurred in Manang, a mountainous district, bringing joy to the locals.

This marks the first snowfall of the winter season, which had been expected since the month of Mangsir (November-December). Kishan Mukhiya Gurung of Nesyang Rural Municipality-1, shared that the hills are now blanketed in snow.

He added that winter snowfall is good for crops as it keeps the soil moist and fertile.

He added that snowfall is favourable for the cultivation of medicinal plants, including Yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), Panchaule (Dactylorhiza hatagirea), and Chiraito (Swertia chirayita).

Yagya Ghale from Tachai of Naso Rural Municipality-8, stated that the delayed snowfall had adversely affected Manang's tourism sector, with potential visitors postponing their trips due to the lack of snow.

"We hope tourist arrivals will increase now with the beginning of snowfall though it is not significant." However, Naso Rural Municipality-5 Ward Chair, Thuten Lama, said that there is no indication of snowfall in the lower Manang. Snowfall serves as a crucial source of irrigation for winter crops such as potatoes, buckwheat, and barley in these areas.

More than 110,000 adolescent girls of Kathmandu district would be vaccinated with 'Human Papillomavirus' (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer.

At a program organized by the Public Health Office, Kathmandu, on Sunday, senior public health administrator Satish Bista shared that 110,263 girls aged 10-14 of 11 local levels of Kathmandu district would get HPV vaccine against cervical cancer.

A total of 97,540 girl students from Grade 6-10 as well as 12,723 girls between 10-14 years, who are out of school, would be vaccinated.

The vaccine would be administered through 1,101 schools and 146 other vaccination centres.

Total 2,412 health workers would be deputed for vaccination campaign in Kathmandu district. It would run from February 5-18.

Chief of the Public Health Office, Kathmandu, Basanta Adhikari, said activities are underway by forming vaccination committee under coordination of Mayor and chairperson in municipalities to run the campaign successfully.

The government is launching a vaccination campaign against cervical cancer targeting 1.688 million adolescent girls between 10-14 years from Grade 6-10 across the country.

The Kathmandu District Court has ordered the police administration to keep Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane in the judicial custody.

A single bench of District Judge Madhav Prasad Adhikari issued an order to keep President Lamichhane in the judicial custody, asking him to appear at the bench at 10 am on Monday.

He was sent to the judicial custody as there was no hearing today.

Registrar at the Kathmandu District Court Ramu Sharma said, "Statement of Lamichhane was recorded over the issue of funds embezzlement of Swarnalaxmi Cooperatives of Kathmandu."