Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu on Sunday have given priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres. The deteriorating health of Dr Govinda KC has received considerable attention. Newspapers have also carried stories on PM KP Oli’s visit to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum. Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the cover pages of national broadsheets:
Important
KC’s health worsening, doctors say he has pneumonia
Kantipur, The Himalayan Times, Naya Patrika, and Nagarik report that Dr Govinda KC’s health is worsening and he has contracted pneumonia. Doctors treating KC have said that he might have to be put on a ventilator. KC, who has been staging a fast-unto-death for the past 11 days, was brought to Kathmandu on Friday. Doctors say that KC is weak and has a lack of white blood cells in his body which and fear that it could worsen his pneumonia. Apart from that, the doctors also add that the blood oxygen level in KC’s body is low too. KC is being kept in the ICU at Teaching Hospital.
Co-chairs not helping task force in NCP unification
The Himalayan Times reports that the nine-member task force of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has failed to prepare a roadmap for the unification of the party’s lower committees due to conflicting factional interests and non-cooperation from party chair KP Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. According to an NCP secretariat member, task force members have blamed the party’s co-chairs for failure to prepare the roadmap.
The task force is divided over issues related to the reshuffling provincial committees as demanded by leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. They are also yet to reach an agreement on whether or not members should be added to the provincial committees and if yes how many. The party secretariat has asked the taskforce to submit its report even if it is incomplete so that secretariat can finalise the issue before presenting it to the standing committee. The secretariat members also say that Oli and Prachanda have failed to give guidelines without which it was impossible to complete the unification. The task force was to prepare the road map by January 10 but failed to do so.
Ignored
ISPs threaten to raise internet price
The Himalayan Times reports that domestic internet service providers have said internet bills will be hiked if the NEA raises the tariff for ISPs for using its electricity poles. Citing that NEA has unscientifically raised the fees that it charges the ISPs for the use of its electricity poles, the service providers have urged the authority to roll back its decision as soon as possible. NEA had decided to raise such fees for ISPs from this fiscal year itself and the authority is preparing to implement the decision soon. However, ISPs have said that NEA has increased the fee by 500 per cent for using its electricity poles without consulting them and this will not be acceptable to the internet service providers. The ISPs say that internet fees might rise up by 50 per cent if the NEA decides to charge ISPs more.
Yadav at the helm of RJP-N presidium
Nepal Samacharpatra reports that the Rastriya Janata Party passed the baton on to Mahendra Raya Yadav to head its presidium on Saturday after Rajendra Mahato completed his term at the helm. On November 20, the presidium meeting had decided to appoint the coordinator on a rotation basis among Mahato, Sharat Singh Bhandari, Mahendra Yadav, Raj Kishor Yadav, Mahantha Thakur, and Anil Jha.
Saturday’s meeting chaired by Mahato also decided to establish a Madhesi Martyrs’ Welfare Fund to support the families of the martyrs who lost their lives during different movements. The meeting also decided to organise meetings of central observers in the districts to evaluate the ongoing membership distributing campaign as part of the party’s preparations for the unity national convention.
Interesting
CIAA offers 100 per cent encouragement allowance
Kantipur reports that government going against its economic policy has asked the CIAA to give its employees up to a 100 per cent encouragement allowance. The decision was made by the cabinet on January 15. The government in the last fiscal year had given 50 to 100 per cent encouragement allowance in over 24 different offices spending over Rs 5 billion. Citing the government doesn’t have money, Finance Minister Yuvaraj Khatiwada had put an end to encouragement allowances. However, after pressure from the employees, the government has decided to continue giving the allowances to its employees.
Ministers dilly-dallying on making their properties public
Rajdhani reports that ministers including PM KP Oli are yet to make their asset details public. Section 50 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2059 states the ministers, including the PM, need to make their asset details public within 60 days of the start of every fiscal year. However, the ministers are yet to make their asset details public which was due in October 2018.
The CIAA can fine the ministers and also investigate if their properties are legal or not. Communication Minister Gokul Baskota shares that their properties haven’t been made public because the ministry doesn’t have details of all ministers. He also adds that this isn’t a major issue and assures that the properties details will be made public soon.
