Former CIAA commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak posting a bail of Rs 7.8 million has been featured in all major newspapers along with the news of Kami Rita Sherpa summiting Mount Everest for a record 23rd time.
NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba attending a parliamentary committee meeting for the first time has also been featured in some newspapers.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the cover pages of national broadsheets:
Important
Pathak free for Rs 7.8 million
Kantipur, The Himalayan Times. The Kathmandu Post, Nagarik and Nepal Samacharpatra report that former commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Raj Narayan Pathak, who faces corruption charges, was released on bail of Rs 7.8 million by the Special Court which recorded his statement and conducted the first trial hearing on Wednesday.
This is the first time in recent years that the Special Court has sought such a high an amount as bail from an accused.
The order was passed by a bench of Chairman of Special Court Baburam Regmi and judges Dwarika Man Joshi and Pramod Kumar Shrestha Vaidya. Pathak posted the bail of Rs 7.8 million equal to the amount he has been accused of receiving as a kickback from Lambodar Neupane, one the directors of Changunarayan-based Nepal Engineering College allegedly for settling a corruption case.
Deuba attends parliamentary committee meeting for the first time
Nepal Samacharpatra reports that Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has finally attended a parliamentary committee meeting. Deuba on Wednesday attended the 35th meeting of Development and Technology Committee, the first time he has done so leaving committee members surprised. Committee chief Kalyani Kumari Khadka said that Deuba was only there for attendance and left without addressing the committee.
NHRC objects to Media Council Bill
The Kathmandu Post reports that The National Human Rights Commission has taken serious exception to the Media Council Act, saying the proposed law is against democratic norms and the freedom of expression that is ensured by the Constitution of Nepal. Issuing a press statement, after the consultation with the representatives of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, the commission said the constitution has ensured full freedom to the press while Universal Declarations of the Human Rights also guarantees the freedom of expression and opinion to every individual.
Ignored
Police refuse to arrest docs who transfused wrong blood in 5-year-old girl
The Himalayan Times reports that parents of a five-year-old girl, Akriti Kumari Shah, who died after she was transfused with wrong blood type, on April 28 said the Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajgunj, Office of the District Attorney and the District Administration Office refused to register their complaint against responsible doctors or nurses and chief of Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre.
Akriti of Sarlahi district died after one of the on-duty nurses transfused ‘A positive’ blood group during her surgery, though her blood group was ‘O positive.’ SGNHC told Akriti’s parents about her death on April 28. The grieving parents said they did not even know where the body of their daughter had been kept.
Probe committee says TU’s anthropology department misused USAID funds
Republica reports that officials of the Central Department of Anthropology, Tribhuvan University (TU) have been found embezzling funds provided by the USAID. Two different projects worth about Rs 140 million are being illegally operated in the name of the Central Department of Anthropology (CDA).
A four-member probe committee that included Prof Amma Raj Joshi, Prof Nilam Kumar Sharma, lecturer Avatar Subedi and Rajendra Khanal has recently submitted its report on CDA projects to the Office of Vice Chancellor, TU. The probe committee was formed on November 29, 2018 as per a decision of the TU Executive Council.
Interesting
Nepal signs multiple agreements with Vietnam and Cambodia
Gorkhapatra reports that Nepal and Cambodia have agreed to ensure early implementation of the Air Service Agreement (ASA) to facilitate exchange of business and tourism between the two countries.
According to the 15-point joint statement issued after the conclusion of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s visit to Cambodia at the invitation of his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen, the two prime ministers instructed the respective civil aviation authorities to expedite discussions on implementation of the ASA. They shared the view that direct air linkage is needed to facilitate business and tourism between the two countries.
Prime Ministers of both Vietnam and Cambodia have said they will visit Vietnam in the near future.
Rs 5 million penalty for violating EIA report
Republica reports that carrying out mega projects without the approval of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report or in breach of the report will incur a hefty fine for mega development projects or industrial venture following the endorsement of the Environment Protection Bill by Parliament.
The government on Wednesday registered a bill in the parliament which proposes a penalty of Rs 5 million for operating mega projects without the approval of the EIA report or in contravention of an approved report. The bill has also made it mandatory to study the strategic environmental impact of national priority projects and national pride projects and also the government’s strategic plans.
Traffic jam in the air as PM arrives in Kathmandu
Naya Patrika reports that the arrival of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from Cambodia saw a traffic jam in the sky again. This is third time in the past month the air traffic controllers had a nightmare as they had to halt oncoming flights of other airlines for up to an hour. Various airlines had to circle the Valley multiple times.
