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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed the Inland Revenue Office, Department of Revenue Investigation and Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection to make market monitoring effective. During a discussion held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar, today, Prime Minister Dahal said there would be no effective result until market monitoring is carried out jointly. He opined, "All the policy-level arrangements related to revenue evasion control should be effectively implemented. The Inland Revenue Office, Department of Revenue Investigation and Department of Commerce should jointly carry out market monitoring in a strong and effective manner." The PM also asked the Department of Revenue Investigation, security bodies and local administration to mobilize a joint team to control illegal imports. "Make preparation for policy-level review where there should be at least 10 percent difference in custom rate of raw materials and readymade goods,” he mentioned. The Prime Minister directed for creating an environment for bringing effectiveness in the quality of goods by preparing the national standard for import. He made it clear that now there should not be a situation in which discussions are held and policies are formulated but not implemented. PM Dahal issued instructions for making arrangements so that the monitoring is carried out not only at the border but it is also done in the domestic market as well. Finance Secretary Toyam Raya, Revenue secretary Ram Prasad Ghimire, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister, Ganesh Prasad Pandey, Director General of the Department of Inland Revenue Dirgha Raj Mainali, Revenue Investigation Department Director General Narayan Sapkota, Department of Customs Director General Chakra Budha, office-bearers at the Prime Minister's Secretariat and businessmen participated in the discussions. Representatives of the business community on the occasion urged the government to pay attention to formulating the policies and programs and implementing them so as to encourage domestic production.  

As high as 96 percent of the total population in Karnali Province is deprived of access to safe and pure drinking water. As per the preliminary result of the National Census-2078 BS, just four percent of the total 1,694,889 population in the province has access to pure drinking water. Senior Divisional Engineer at Ministry of Physical Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Gopal Sharma said that 86 percent people in the province are provided with basic supplies of drinking water while six percent of the people are still having no access to basic drinking water supply. According to Sharma, most of the citizens from the province are forced to drink impure water from open ponds, rivers, rivulets and streams. "The ministry is working with the target to supply basic water facilities in all 79 local levels," he added. In the current fiscal year, the province government has allocated Rs 1.40 billion for drinking water and sanitation. Likewise, water testing labs have been established in all 10 districts in Karnali, while new projects of water supplies are being implemented from the local and province levels.

With the slight impacts of both local and westerly winds, the hilly regions in the country are likely to witness partial rain today. The Weather Forecast Division of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that there will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly and mountainous areas of Koshi Province, Bagmati Province and the thundershower is likely to happen at some places of Tarai and mountainous regions of Koshi Province today. The Division said that the same pattern of weather system will continue tonight as well. Currently, the weather of the Kathmandu Valley is clear from early morning today. The minimum temperature of the valley is recorded a11 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature is 24 degree Celsius.  

The social security scheme of the country is including migrant workers and self-employed persons from today onward. In the presence of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Social Security Fund is hosting a program today to initiate the task of including migrant workers in the contributions-based social security scheme. Fund Spokesperson Bibek Panthi said that the Fund was extending its coverage to the migrant workers in foreign employment. Tens of thousands of Nepali migrant workers would reap benefits from the scheme once it comes into effect today, he said. In this connection, the Fund had already approved procedural guidelines to enroll migrant workers, informal sector employees and self-employed persons in the social security scheme. The trade union organizations have long been demanding inclusion of informal sector employees and self-employed persons in the net of the social security scheme. Though informal sector workers have been receiving benefits from the social security plan three years back, migrant workers and self-employed persons living abroad were being deprived of the service. The Non-Resident Nepali Association has also long been advocating for including migrant workers in the social security scheme. Those obtaining a new work permit would be mandatorily included in the scheme from today onward. Around 2,000 people are obtaining work permits on a daily basis. Those obtaining work permits should deposit contributions equivalent to a month's salary to the fund. Spokesperson Panthi said a worker going abroad for employment would be entitled to receive a 10 percent discount while depositing contributions worth amounting to a six-month salary. The migrant workers living abroad could enlist them from the website of the fund and deposit their contribution amount. According to the approved procedural guideline, the migrant workers or self-employed persons living abroad could participate in the facility by depositing at least 21.33 percent of basic remuneration or minimum Rs 2,000 monthly and its three-fold in maximum. Panthi informed that 399,566 employees of the formal sector have so far enrolled in the fund. Rs 30 billion and 870 million has been deposited to the fund. The Fund has made payment of Rs 3 billion and 810 million to the contributors as per their claim. The contribution-based social security scheme has been brought into implementation since 27 November 2018.  

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has urged one and all to be active from their respective places to end inhuman practice of caste and race- based discrimination and untouchability. In a message on the occasion of 58th International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today, Chair Oli said that it was necessary to launch an awareness campaign from all walks of life of the society to end racial discrimination. "Though the laws have restricted inhuman practices like untouchability, it has not been completely eradicated. It is necessary to launch awareness from all walks of life of the society", reads the message. Saying the UML has been fighting against discrimination based on caste, gender, religion and culture, he opined the UML-led government had played a leading role in policy-level reform for economic empowerment and social dignity of victims of social discrimination. The message read, "All types of caste-based discrimination, injustice, superstition, crime, deprivation and violence should be ended to fulfill national aspiration 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'." Similarly, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal said it was necessary to stand against untouchability and caste-based discrimination for building a civilized society. In a message on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Chair Nepal said that a society of co-existent would be built through social justice, equality and freedom if we all united against untouchability and racial discrimination. Saying his party has been carrying out political activities since long to maintain equality making the Nepali society free from such violence and discrimination, he pointed out the need for an awareness campaign against caste-based discrimination. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has been observed on March 21 every year since 1966.    

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has urged all Nepali to stand against discrimination and caste-based violence. In a message of best wishes on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Tuesday, he called for building a civilized and well-cultured society. "On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, I would like to extend my best wishes to the entire Nepali people to stand against untouchability and caste-based violence to build a civilized and well-cultured society", read the message.  

After a gap of 14 years, the Free Students Union (FSU) election in the constituent and affiliated campuses including the Central Campus of the Tribhuvan University (TU) is taking place today. The voting is to kick start at 8 am and will continue until 4 in the afternoon. The TU officials said that the FSU election is being held in 60 constituent campuses and 1,040 affiliated campuses across the country. So far, the FSU leadership has been elected unopposed in two constituent campuses and some affiliated campuses. The FSU election was held last time in 2065 BS.  

A meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) is taking place at 1:00 pm today. Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Pushpa Kamal Dahal is scheduled to table the Bill on Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Third Amendment), 2079. Likewise, PM Dahal is also expected to table the Bill on Constitutional Council (First Amendment), 2079. As scheduled, the Speaker of the HoR will inform the House about the letters received from the Office of the President on assignment of different portfolios. Furthermore, the Speaker is scheduled to share with the House about a vacant post of the HoR member.