Nepal Foreign Affairs (KATHMANDU, 17 January 2019) – The Parliamentary Hearing Committee under the House of Representatives today has endorsed the names of two proposed ambassadors.
Today’s meeting of the Committee chaired by its president Laxman Lal Karna unanimously approved the name of Deepak Adhikari, proposed ambassador to France and proposed ambassador to Thailand Ganesh Prasad Dhakal.
Adhikari and Dhakal are currently serving as Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). Both the proposed ambassadors had presented their action plans at the meeting and pledged to contribute towards realizing the government’s motto- ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’- upon assuming the position of ambassadors in their proposed countries.
Committee members Surendra Prasad Pandey, Jitendra Narayan Dev, Purna Kumari Subedi, Bhimsen Das Pradhan, Shiva Kumar Mandal and Parbat Gurung had offered their recommendations to pay attention to the economic diplomacy as they will take their offices in Thailand and France.
They also suggested the proposed ambassadors to make efforts to attract foreign direct investment from Thailand and France.
Action against Chhaupadi
The meeting has issued directives to the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens to bring to book those individuals and organizations forcing menstruating women to practice Chhaupadi where the menstruating women are banished to shed.
The meeting has also directed to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to abiding by the laws.
The practice is rampant despite Clause 168 (3) of the Criminal Code criminalising it. The committee directed the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen to ensure safety to women and girls observing the ill-practice as an immediate relief at a time when it will take time to inform people of the laws outlawing it.
In response, Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen Tham Maya Thapa said the government was doing its best in launching a campaign against Chhaupadi.