Cabinet Approves Forest Use for Hydropower Projects, Forms Red Cross Committee

Kathmandu. The Council of Ministers has made 4 different decisions. Minister of Education and government spokesperson Sashmit Pokharel informed on Tuesday that the meeting decided to grant permission to use national forest area for the development of the energy sector for four hydropower projects, which are considered important, based on the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment.

Under this, Lower Arun, Lower Nyadi Khola, Bhuncha Khola, and Tadi Khola hydropower projects will now be able to use forest areas, he said.

Similarly, the Council of Ministers has also approved the Civil Service (Sixteenth Amendment) Regulations 2081, which came from the Ministry of General Administration. Likewise, a nine-member ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Bishal Kumar Bhandari has been formed to manage the Nepal Red Cross Society, which has been in dispute for a long time, spokesperson Pokharel said. 

The meeting also accepted the report submitted by the study and investigation committee formed regarding former Home Minister and Member of Parliament Suden Gurung. When asked about the implementation of the report, spokesperson Pokharel said, 'A decision has been made to receive the file now, and after studying it, necessary decisions will be taken.'

He clarified in another context that feasibility studies are underway for the operation of metro and monorail in Kathmandu and that there will be no cut in Tribhuvan University's budget.