<p>Muslims are celebrating the festival of Eid-ul-Fitre with much enthusiasm and vigour. </p><p>The festival is observed marking the end of a month-long fasting period of Ramadan.</p><p>On the occasion, Muslims throng mosques since early morning to inaugurate the festival with prayers.</p><p>People clad in new clothes are performing the namaj to Allah, and exchanging greetings by hugging one another. <br><br>The festival will be observed for three days by savouring various delicacies, inviting friends and families for feast, receiving blessings from elders and providing alms to the poor. <br><br>Goverment has announced a public holiday for today to celebrate the festival.<br><br><br><br></p>

<p>A high-level government delegation has visited Korala point along the Nepal-China border.</p><p>The delegation comprises Deputy Ministers Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, Bhim Rawal and Top Bahadur Rayamaji. <br>Former Prime Minister and CPN (UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, Minister of State for Finance Damodar Bhandari and lawmaker from Mustang Romi Gauchan, among others. <br><br>The delegation inspected a customs office set up to look after the proposed Korala point, land allocated to set up security office and Nepal Army's Bhimdal Battalion, according to Mustang's Chief District Officer Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari. <br><br></p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Preparations have been made to give final shape to the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project until October.<br><br>It has been agreed in the fourth joint meeting of the Energy Secretaries of Nepal and India that concluded on Wednesday to give final shape to the DPR and finalise all issues, Chief Executive Officer of the Pancheshwar Development Authority Mahendra Bahadur Gurung said.<br><br>According to him, an agreement has also been reached to hold the secretary-level meeting every three months and resolving the issues by synthesizing the problems. <br><br>Gurung stated that the joint meeting prepared the basis also for the benefits and the loss that Nepal and India would get from the project, the use of technology, inundation, rehabilitation and the additional topics that have to be incorporated. He said the DPR was not immediately given the final shape so as to make it more enriched by the coming October.<br><br>The Pancheshwar project which had been stalled since the last 23 years was moved forward after the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nepal. Four joint meetings on the project DPR have been held so far.<br><br>The Authority has projected to generate a total of 5,040 megawatts electricity from the project.<br>As has been proposed in the DPR, the proposed cost of the project is Rs 500 billion. Nepal and India will have to make equal investment in the project.<br><br>Similarly, the two countries have also come to a common view regarding the sharing of the water of the Mahakali River. <br><br></p>

<p>Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala was taken out from the ventilator support today after significant improvement in his health, Om Hospital,Chabahil, where is undergoing treatment, said.<br><br><br><br><br></p>

<p>&nbsp;The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has reached an agreement with the total 223,830 families till yesterday to provide the grant amount of Rs 200,000 each family to reconstruct their houses damaged by the earthquake on April 25, 2015. <br><br>Of the total families with whom the grant agreement reached, the first installment of Rs 50,000 has already been released each to 24,428 families so far, said spokesperson for the NRA Ram Prasad Thapaliya. <br><br>The released amounts were deposited in bank accounts of the beneficiaries. <br><br><br></p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Women Children and Social Welfare, CP Mainali has said the government is working out to bring a new Act to ensure the rights of women and children. &nbsp;<br><br>He informed that the new bill for the same is preparing to table in the parliament aimed at replacing the Act of 2048 BS.</p><p>Addressing a programme jointly organized by the Central Child Welfare Committee and Nepal Police today DPM Mainali added that such co-work is essential to end all kinds of discrimination against the children and women.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br></p>

<p>The Itahari regional office of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has raided an official of the refugee coordination unit of the District Administration Office, Jhapa today.</p><p>The arrested is section officer Nirmal Raj Khanal. &nbsp;<br><br>He was arrested as he was taking Rs 100,000 in kickbacks from a service recipient.&nbsp; He was arrested from Gorkha Departmental Store of Damak-10 Jhapa, said DSP Ramesh Basnet. &nbsp;<br><br><br><br></p>

<p>One more died in Kerauja of the district as the village is still mourning the death of three locals killed in a landslide there today.<br><br>Krishna Tamang of the place died last night as he was returning home after getting the bad news of the death of his wife Kanchhimaya Tamang, one of those killed in the landslide on Tuesday in course of constructing a road section.</p><p>Tamang was returning home with his wife's brother but suddenly fell unconscious and died at Yarubagar, Kerauja-9, confirmed police.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<br><br><br></p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the incumbent government might be expanded in few days.<br><br>Addressing the national consultation seminar entitled 'Challenges seen in land management and solution' organised by the Ministry of Land Reform and Management today, PM Oli expressed the commitment that the government would implement the plans as per its policy and programmes.</p><p>He expressed the belief that the deliberations on identification of land-related problems and finding an appropriate way for their resolution that would be held in course of the seminar would be fruitful.<br><br>Minister for Land Reform and Management Ram Kumar Subba said that although it was the responsibility of his Ministry to protect the immovable property of all the citizens, the record-keeping system in the ministry was not reliable.<br><br></p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Parliamentary Hearing Special Committee (PHSC) is to conduct the parliamentary hearing of Ayodhi Prasad Yadav, who has been proposed for appointment to the Chief Election Commissioner.<br><br>A meeting of the Committee chaired by its president Kul Bahadur Gurung today decided to call for the presence of Mr Yadav for hearing in the committee's meeting tomorrow morning.<br><br>Two complaints were filed against Yadav at the PHSC, arguing that Yadav's parliamentary hearing should not be held until the writ filed against his reappointment at the Supreme Court was decided upon. Yadav is currently the Acting Chief Election Commissioner.<br><br>It is stated that the committee is directly holding the parliamentary hearing as it was not possible to inquire in detail about the complaints against him as the complainants have not mentioned their contact number or e-mail in the complaint. <br><br>Regarding the Acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki, the PHSC has decided to call the people who filed complaints against her appointment.<br><br></p>