The government has decided to hold the Sagarmatha Sambaad in Kathmandu from May 16 to 18 under the theme "Climate Change, Mountains, and the Future of Humanity." A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday fixed the date of the Sagarmatha Sambaad a multi-stakeholder international dialogue forum, aligns with Nepal’s foreign policy of fostering global understanding through dialogue, consensus, and collaboration, said Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung on Tuesday.
According to the state-run national news agency RSS, Prime Minister KP Oli said that the Sagarmatha Sambaad would showcase Nepal’s success stories, its unique historical perspective, and its strategic geographical location.
“Erratic climate patterns have caused disasters, claiming lives and increasing the cost of development. Glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, threatening the survival of societies and cultures in mountainous regions like Nepal,” RSS quoted PM Oli as saying.
According to RSS, PM Oli cited examples such as the glacier lake outburst flood in Thame and recent flooding in the Bagmati Province as evidence of how climate emergencies have become routine occurrences.
Announcing the decisions of Monday’s cabinet meeting at a press conference on Tuesday, Minister Gurung added that the government has permitted the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to purchase shares of IL&FS Energy Development Company Limited, an Indian cross-border power transmission company. The NEA has been allowed to buy 2,973,163 units of promoter shares of the company, which was established to develop a transmission line from the Nepal-India border to Muzaffarpur, India.
The cabinet has also decided to set up a Consumer Court within its office in the Kathmandu Valley.
Additionally, the government has allocated 3.5 hectares of national forest land in Sainamaina Municipality-10, Rupandehi for the construction of the Sainamaina Waste Management Centre. It has also approved the use of 3.2 hectares of national forest land in Birendranagar Municipality (Wards 8, 11, and 12) and Lekbesi Municipality (Ward 10), Surkhet for the Bheri Pumping Project.
The cabinet also approved foreign visits for two ministers. Labour, Employment, and Social Security Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari will attend the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates from February 11 to 13. Similarly, Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Devendra Dahal will participate in the Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco from February 18 to 20. -- RSS
