Nepal Highlights

The two-day standing committee meeting of the Unified CPN (Maoist) in Sukute of Sindhupalchok has authorised the 'headquarter' to pick ministers for the Jhala Nath Khanal cabinet. UCPN (M) standing committee held its meeting in Sukute, Sindhupalchok after its meetings in the capital failed to pick the ministers.UCPN (M) organised a press conference after the meeting in Sukute. Maoist chairman told journalists that the SC had authorised the headquarters to the headquarters. There has been an agreement to allocate 11 cabinet ministries to UCPN (Maoist). The party has not been able to decide on the candidates as there are too many candidates for the posts.

Former finance secretary Rameshwore Khanal, who came to a sudden limelight after abrupt resignation from his post last week, has returned to Kathmandu after touring the mid-hill districts for some days. Khanal told journalists that he was determined not to take up any government posts in the future at a press conference organised at the Reporters' Club, Kathmandu Sunday. I am determined that I will not backtrack on my decision, said Khanal.   At the press conference former secretary Khanal said, he resigned as the leadership at the finance ministry was not happy with his position on the supplementary budget. Khanal clarified, he did inform the finance minister that he was going to resign. When you are in a ship, you should either cooperate with the captain or quit, said Khanal, indicating metaphorically that he chose to quit instead of cooperating with finance minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari on the supplementary budget. Khanal had become unhappy after he found that a supplemen

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bharat Mohan Adhikari has said he is preparing to introduce a full budget and not the supplementary budget as touted in the media, in April. Answering to lawmakers' questions at a meeting of the Public Account Committee (PAC) Sunday morning finance minister Adhikari said, the government is preparing to announce a full-fledged budget next month in view of the transitional period post May 28. The finance minister's announcement about the full-fledged budget comes at a time when reports about supplementary budget and resignation of finance secretary Rameshwore Khanal on the same issue is rife in the media. DPM Adhikari had gone to the PAC as the committee had asked him to clarify on Khanal's resignation. Adhikari denied putting any pressure to Khanal to resign. "I did not give any pressure to Khanal to resign, " Adhikari said. "I had also encouraged him to take action against tax evaders." The Public Accoun