Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Wednesday have given priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres.
The Nepali Congress’ obstructing the meeting of the House of Representatives again over two proposed hospitals named after its leaders has received considerable attention in all the newspapers. News of the central bank ordering three banks to return controversial businessman Ajeya Sumargi’s money has also been printed on the papers on Wednesday.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:
Important
Opposition blocks government bid to push Medical Education Bill
Kantipur, Annapurna Post, Nepal Samacharpatra, Naya Patrika, Rajdhani, The Himalayan Times and The Kathmandu Post all report that the ruling party’s bid to push the National Medical Education Bill through Parliament failed on Tuesday after the opposition lawmakers obstructed the House proceedings.
As soon as the House meeting commenced, NC’s Prakash Man Singh spoke in protest of the government’s decision to scrap two hospitals in the names of the party’s late leaders—Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala. And after that, it was pandemonium in Parliament. After NC lawmakers started shouting slogans, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara postponed the meeting for 15 minutes When the meeting re-commenced, Speaker Mahara allowed Education Minister Giriraj Mani Pokhrel to present the bill. Pokhrel, however, could not make it to the rostrum, as NC lawmakers rushed to the well of the House and blocked his way.
Objecting to Mahara’s way of handling the parliamentary business, NC lawmaker Gagan Thapa, a former health minister, said the Speaker behaved more like a government minister. NC lawmakers had obstructed proceedings of both House of Representatives and National Assembly on Monday as well. The Parliamentary Secretariat then issued a notice scheduling the next meeting for 1 pm Friday.
Wide-body probe committee directionless
Nagarik reports that the committee which was formed to investigate the irregularities in the purchase of two wide-body aircraft is directionless.
The government has yet to decide the terms of reference (ToR) for the high-level committee formed earlier this month to investigate into the alleged misappropriation of funds during the procurement of two wide-body aircraft by Nepal Airlines Corporation. The commission was given 45 days to submit its probe report. Nineteen days have passed, and the commission has not even started its work.
Officials knowledgeable about corruption investigation processes have doubted the government motive behind forming the probe panel. Sree Hari Aryal, former president of Transparency International Nepal, says there is no meaning of forming a commission to probe into the matter when a parliamentary committee had already submitted its report.
Ignored
Transitional justice bodies may get new lease of life
Republica reports that the Transitional Justice (TJ) bodies are likely to get yet another round of term extensions as these bodies have been unable to conclude investigations into conflict-era cases and ensure justice for the victims within the existing deadline.
Officials privy to developments say that the government will extend the terms of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons, as investigations into conflict-era cases remain incomplete.
The hint at extensions comes from the government less than three weeks before the existing February 9 deadline, which was itself an extension of a previous deadline. Established in February 2015, the two commissions have not been successful in completing their investigations into the more than 63,000 conflict-era cases and ensuring justice for the victims.
Three tested positive for swine flu, one dead
The Himalayan Times reports that three persons have tested positive for swine flu at Om Hospital and Research Centre while three others are suspected to have been infected with the same virus. According to the director at Om Hospital, Dr KP Devkota, test samples have been sent to National Public Health Laboratory. Devkota says that one woman was airlifted to Delhi while one woman died due to the virus. Epidemiology and Disease Control Division says that A (H1N1) pdm, 09 virus was called swine flu. However, the National Public Health Laboratory’s report has marked it as swine flu.
Interesting
Tootle accused of evading taxes
Republica reports that ride-sharing app Tootle has evaded tax for nearly 19 months. Tootle since its inception had collected VAT from those who used their services. However, the company is found not even registered at the department concerned as a VAT paying company. Co-founder Sixit Bhatta, claimed that the company collected VAT in the initial stages due to lack of knowledge about the tax system. He adds that the company is now in the process of registering for VAT.
Central bank asks three banks to return Sumargi’s money to NIBL
The Kathmandu Post reports that Nepal Rastra Bank on Tuesday wrote to three banks, asking them to deposit the money—withdrawn from Nepal Investment Bank Limited (NIBL) account of Muktishree Cement Industries owned by controversial businessman Ajeya Raj Sumargi—back to NIBL.
Following a December 25 Supreme Court interim order of a single bench of Justice Deepak Raj Joshee, Sumargi had withdrawn $6.99 million of Muktishree frozen by the central bank because the controversial businessman had failed to show the source.
But on January 8, a division bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai quashed the December 25 interim order, asking the NIBL to “maintain the balance as it was before the interim order”.
