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From the Kathmandu Press: Thursday, April 26, 2018

All major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday have carried stories about post-earthquake reconstruction efforts on their front page today as the country marked the third anniversary of devastating tremor yesterday. On the other hand, the claim of National Bureau of Statistics about Nepal’s increase per capita income, and its growth rate projection have also received a high priority. Many newspapers have carried reports about progresses made by police regarding investigations into the disappearance of 33.5 kg gold that they had confiscated from the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Important

Who are dragged into 33.5 kg gold disappearance?

Kantipur, Naya Patrika, Nepal Samacharpatra and Rajdhani have published reports about a mysterious disappearance of 33.5 kg gold that police had confiscated from alleged smugglers.

Kantipur lead story for the day police have already arrested 20 people including senior police officials whereas circulars have been issued to arrest two more. Two persons allegedly involved in the case have already committed suicide whereas one person was killed, Naya Patrika report says, adding no one knows about the whereabouts of the mastermind and the stolen gold itself.

Nepal Samacharpatra says Nepal Police is preparing to seek the help of international police organisation, Interpol, to nab the alleged mastermind, Chudamani Upreti aka Gore. It has already been two months since the police launched an investigation and they are planning to handover the case to the Morang District Court next week, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been briefed about the progress made by police in investigation of this case, according to Rajdhani.

Politicians to be barred from constitutional positions

File image: Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

The Himalayan Times lead story for the day says the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has recently drafted a National Integrity Policy, and it will bar members of political parties and organisations to join constitutional bodies as officials.

The draft states that persons recommended for constitutional positions should sign an affidavit before appointment mentioning they never joined any party or paid levy to them.

Meanwhile, the policy proposes stricter provisions for national and international non-government organisations too, according to the report.

Ignored

House of Representatives regulation stuck in dispute

File: A meeting of House of Representatives

Gorkhapatra has published a single column boxed story on its front page today to inform that the regulation for House of Representatives currently being drafted by a lawmakers’ panel has been stuck halfway due to differences among key political parties.

The report adds that parties do not have an agreement on whether lawmakers sent to the judicial custody while they are yet to be convicted should be suspended from their position.

Nepal won’t seek TPS extension from Trump

As the United States government has decided to discontinue the states of temporary protected status given to Nepalis after the 2015 earthquake, the Nepal government is planning to just let it go and not request the Donald Trump government to rethink the decision, according to The Kathmandu Post.

“Although the formal decision has not been made yet, senior officials at the Foreign Ministry here said the government is unlikely to make any request,” reads the report.

Madheshi parties left with tough choices

Two Madhesh-centric parties in Parliament—Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal—have failed to continue negotiations with the government though they were said to be preparing to join the government earlier. Therefore, they only have three choices, which are equally unfavourable for them now, according to Republica.

The three choices include: joining government on terms and conditions set by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his party, severing ties with the government and launching a fresh protest, and just waiting for an opportune time to join the government.

Zero tolerance to sexual exploitation: Nepali Army

Following reports about involvement of Nepali Army soldiers currently employed in South Sudan as United Nations peacekeepers in sexual abuse and exploitation of local women and children, the national military organisation says it is committed to taking action against its staff if they are found guilty, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The Army says it has adopted a zero tolerance policy to such cases and hence a board of inquiry has already formed in response to the reports from African country.

Interesting

Reconstruction of 70 per cent quake-hit schools over

File: A quake-hit school building in Sindhupalchok district

Three years on, around 70 per cent of school buildings destroyed by the 2015 earthquake have been reconstructed by now, Karobar anchor story for the day informs, quoting officials of the Central Project Implementation Unit-Education under the National Reconstruction Authority.

However, the government does not have any plan about constructing remaining 3,000 schools, according to the report.

 

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