Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday have covered significant issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres on their front pages. A meeting of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament over the recent controversial purchase of two wide body aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation has been covered in the lead story of many newspapers. Like other days in the recent past, the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in June in Kanchanpur and the government’s involvement in hosting the controversial Asia Pacific Summit have also been featured on their front pages.
Important
Govt wants to sell NAC shares
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari concentrated on the idea of bringing in a strategic partner for the national flag carrier while speaking in a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament yesterday, according to the reports in The Himalayan Times and Republica.
With the introduction of the strategic partner, the government is planning to divest a certain amount of shares to other companies, the report informs.
Police suspect Nirmala Pant was gang-raped
After their failure to prove any of previous hypotheses, police have now suspected that Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur was raped by a gang rather than an individual, Naya Patrika reports. Police have recently arrested one person from Kathmandu and three from Mahendranagar in connection with the case, the report adds.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs is preparing to form another committee to investigate into the case, according to Nagarik.
Ignored
Govt begins probe into complaints against envoy Sherpa
After her former driver accused Nepal’s Ambassador to Australia Lucky Sherpa of her and her husband’s involvement in human trafficking, the government has launched an investigation, Annapurna Post reports in its lead story.
“Because the accusation is serious, we are trying to find out the truth,” the report quotes Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, “We will take needful action is the accusation is proved. We are looking into the case from multiple perspectives.”
NCP leaders demand meeting to discuss Asia Pacific Summit
Some members of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s Nepal Communist Party have demanded that the party hold special meetings of the party’s Standing Committee and Secretariat to review the party leaders’ role in the recently hosted Asia Pacific Summit, according to a two column story in Kantipur.
Those demanding the meeting also include senior leader and former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal.
New bill limits forest users’ rights
A four column story in The Himalayan Times reports that the government is preparing the draft for a new law on people’s right to forests. If the law gets endorsed as it is, it will limit the right of community forests, the report says.
Meanwhile, activists have said the new provisions will only benefit bureaucrats.
Congress accuses govt of inviting economic crisis
The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has accused the government and the ruling Nepal Communist Party of pushing the country towards an economic crisis, according to a three column story in Republica.
The draft of economic proposal prepared for the upcoming mahasamiti meeting has criticised the government for failing to fix economic problems of the country and failing to create conducive environment for investment.
Interesting
Action room to monitor ministries’ activities
Gorkhapatra reports in a three column story that the government is establishing an action room, from which the Prime Minister can directly monitor and supervise activities of various ministries and agencies.
The construction of the room has just begun and it will be over in next three months, according to officials of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
