Budget budges
The Council of Ministers on Wednesday endorsed the decision of the major three parties to present a full budget in parliament on Friday, following an amendment to the Interim Constitution. The Maoists, NC and UML reached an agreement on Tuesday to allow the caretaker government to present the budget. Earlier, a meeting of the ruling coalition of 18 parties had supported the PM's proposal to present the new budget on 19 November. The special advance budget's mandate ended 18 November. The new, full-fledged budget is expected to come to Rs 330 billion.
Power cuts ahoy
Nepal Electricity Authority has imposed 29 hours of weekly power cuts beginning Wednesday, citing decreased water levels in the rivers and the ongoing maintenance of the Middle Marsyangdi hydropower project. There will now be loadshedding in two to three-and-a-half hour chunks twice a day five days a week, and once a day on the sixth day. Prior to the authority's announcement, cuts stood at two hours a day six days a week.
Clean chit
The Parliamentary Special Hearing Committee (PSHC) Tuesday approved the nomination of three permanent justices of the Supreme Court. The Judicial Council had recommended Abadesh Kumar Yadav, Girish Chandra Lal and Sushila Karki to the permanent positions at the apex court. The Natural Resources and Means Committee of parliament has accused justice Lal of releasing a man involved in the smuggling of rhino horns while Karki has been accused of being close to a political party.
Inconclusive taskforce
The High Level Taskforce could not decide on land reform and provisions for land ceilings during their Wednesday meeting. While the Maoists proposed that no compensation should be given for ownership beyond the land ceiling, the NC and UML supported compensation. The Maoists also maintained that social justice can be provided by distributing the land owned by 'feudalists' to poor farmers. The taskforce still has to resolve 42 disputes related to constitution drafting, out of nearly 200 issues. The next meeting of the taskforce has been scheduled for 1 December.
