KATHMANDU, AUG 30 -The government has been working to form a Railway Board, an autonomous body to develop the country’s railway sector. This will be the sole body to look after all the affairs related to railway s, and the existing entities including the Department of Railway and Nepal Railway Company will be dissolved.
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) has sent a draft railway regulation to the Ministry of Law and Justices for its approval. The regulation has emphasized the development of the sector through public private partnership and the private sector alone.
The regulation, based on the new Railway Act which was endorsed by President Ram Baran Yadav through an ordinance four months ago, has envisioned creating a separate autonomous body to construct and manage railway services.The Railway Act deals with the overall development of the sector while the old Railway Act 1963 was only concerned with operating Nepal Railway Company that operates Janakpur Railway.
Aug 30, 2013
Aug 29, 2013
Regulation to control spam SMS, emails likely next year
KATHMANDU, AUG 29 -The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has initiated a process to devise a regulation aimed at checking spam SMS and emails, and it will be implemented from next fiscal year, the authority has said.
In response to a growing customer complaints of receiving unwanted SMSs, the authority had recently discussed with the telecom operators—Ncell and Nepal Telecom—on eliminating the problem of such text messages over their networks. NTA officials said they were studying international practices, gathering information about possible solutions and vendors and discussing with licencees to formulate the regulation. A few days ago, the NTA and telecom companies had also discussed with an Indian vendor—Tele DNA on issues of spam messages and solutions.
“It’s a high time that we enforced a strict regulation at the earliest to discourage spam SMS to safeguard customers,” said Ananda Raj Khanal, director at the NTA. He, however, said despite showing urgency, the work has not move effectively as the NTA had no active full board.
In recent months, there have been complaints from mobile users of receiving unwanted SMS, with some of the customers even reporting to have been cheated through such messages. Mobile users have been getting a slew unwanted requests such as likes on a Facebook page, advertisement of international websites, product promotion SMS and lottery prizes.
In response to a growing customer complaints of receiving unwanted SMSs, the authority had recently discussed with the telecom operators—Ncell and Nepal Telecom—on eliminating the problem of such text messages over their networks. NTA officials said they were studying international practices, gathering information about possible solutions and vendors and discussing with licencees to formulate the regulation. A few days ago, the NTA and telecom companies had also discussed with an Indian vendor—Tele DNA on issues of spam messages and solutions.
“It’s a high time that we enforced a strict regulation at the earliest to discourage spam SMS to safeguard customers,” said Ananda Raj Khanal, director at the NTA. He, however, said despite showing urgency, the work has not move effectively as the NTA had no active full board.
In recent months, there have been complaints from mobile users of receiving unwanted SMS, with some of the customers even reporting to have been cheated through such messages. Mobile users have been getting a slew unwanted requests such as likes on a Facebook page, advertisement of international websites, product promotion SMS and lottery prizes.
Gold hits all-time high of Rs 63,300 per tola
KATHMANDU, AUG 29 -Gold hit an all-time high of Rs 63,300 per tola (11.664 gm) on Wednesday with the Nepali rupee continuing to dive and world prices in takeoff mode. The yellow metal, which has been on a gradual upward trend in the past month, jumped Rs 3,400 per tola overnight.
Gold traded at Rs 59,900 per tola on Tuesday in the local market. On Nov 4 last year, the precious metal reached Rs 61,850 per tola setting a new record on the strength of international gains and devaluation of the Nepali rupee.
The latest price rise has been attributed to the continuing plunge of the Nepali rupee to Rs 105.31 against the US dollar. Further, the increment in gold prices in the global market by over US$ 25 per ounce has pushed up local prices. Daily sales have dropped with the yellow metal becoming pricier, said traders.
Manik Ratna Shakya, former general secretary of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association (Fenegosida), said that the Nepali rupee had been going downhill even as global gold prices increased by leaps and bounds. “Wednesday’s rise was unexpected, and it has hit local customers just ahead of the festive season when consumption goes up,” he added.
Gold traded at Rs 59,900 per tola on Tuesday in the local market. On Nov 4 last year, the precious metal reached Rs 61,850 per tola setting a new record on the strength of international gains and devaluation of the Nepali rupee.
The latest price rise has been attributed to the continuing plunge of the Nepali rupee to Rs 105.31 against the US dollar. Further, the increment in gold prices in the global market by over US$ 25 per ounce has pushed up local prices. Daily sales have dropped with the yellow metal becoming pricier, said traders.
Manik Ratna Shakya, former general secretary of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association (Fenegosida), said that the Nepali rupee had been going downhill even as global gold prices increased by leaps and bounds. “Wednesday’s rise was unexpected, and it has hit local customers just ahead of the festive season when consumption goes up,” he added.
Aug 28, 2013
3,000 km new track opened in three years
KATHMANDU, AUG 28 -The country saw opening of 3,000 km of new road s (dirt road ) in the last three fiscal years (2010-11 to 2012-13). This has taken the total length of strategic and central level road network to 25,241 km.
After the construction of 852 fresh road s in last fiscal year, the government exceeded the target (1,493 km) set for Three Year Interim Plan (2010-11 to 2012-13).However, the government could not achieve the target in other categories such as road upgradation, reconstruction, bridge construction and connecting four districts headquarters with road .
The total length of blacktopped, gravel and dirt road s reached 10,689 km, 5,930 km and 8,622 km, respectively, at the end of the last fiscal year, according to the Department of Roads. The department’s statistics presented at the annual review meeting held at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) on Tuesday show the government is yet to take road connection to Dunai of Dolpa and Simikot of Jumla.
As per the target of the three year plan, the road network reached to Ghamgadhi of Mugu in 2012-13and to Chhame of Manang in 2011-12, according to the MoPIT. Under rehabilitation/re-construction/upgradation categories, the government completed work on 2,006 km out of the targeted 3,752 km. Under the bridge segment, 167 bridges out of the targeted 200 were built. In the last fiscal year, the government built 74 new bridges.
After the construction of 852 fresh road s in last fiscal year, the government exceeded the target (1,493 km) set for Three Year Interim Plan (2010-11 to 2012-13).However, the government could not achieve the target in other categories such as road upgradation, reconstruction, bridge construction and connecting four districts headquarters with road .
The total length of blacktopped, gravel and dirt road s reached 10,689 km, 5,930 km and 8,622 km, respectively, at the end of the last fiscal year, according to the Department of Roads. The department’s statistics presented at the annual review meeting held at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) on Tuesday show the government is yet to take road connection to Dunai of Dolpa and Simikot of Jumla.
As per the target of the three year plan, the road network reached to Ghamgadhi of Mugu in 2012-13and to Chhame of Manang in 2011-12, according to the MoPIT. Under rehabilitation/re-construction/upgradation categories, the government completed work on 2,006 km out of the targeted 3,752 km. Under the bridge segment, 167 bridges out of the targeted 200 were built. In the last fiscal year, the government built 74 new bridges.
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