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From the Kathmandu Press: Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Two major issues that have been highlighted on the front pages of major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Wednesday are the beginning of formal talks between the government and a team representing medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC and resignation of Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang over a controversial statement that he made last week.

News reports about protests launched by doctors in solidarity with the activist, the adjournment of National Assembly meeting and few other issues from political, sociocultural and financial sectors have also been featured on the front pages of the broadsheets published from Kathmandu.

Important

Talks between Dr KC, govt positive

A press statement issued by teams representing the government and Dr Govinda KC’s representatives, on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.

On the 25th day of the fast-unto-death of Dr Govinda KC, a team formed by the government for negotiations with Dr KC has held a formal meeting with the fasting doctor’s representatives, according to Nagarik.

Other newspapers comment that the meeting was positive about reaching a conclusion agreeable to both sides and the talks will continue today as well. Nepal Samacharpatra says the two sides may sign an agreement today, thereby effectively ending Dr KC’s fast.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Education for around three hours yesterday, Gorkhapatra reports, adding coordinators of both sides—Khaga Raj Baral and Abhishek Raj Singh–have said agreements have been forged on many demands raised by Dr KC and hoped the negotiations are likely to materialise on Wednesday.

Naya Patrika says the agreement is coming closer as Dr KC’s side has turned flexible about resistance on the new medical education bill whereas the government has become ready to withdraw the bill already registered in Parliament.

NCP forces lawmaker to resign to bring Bamdev Gautam to Parliament

File image: Bamdev Gautam

Naya Patrika reports on its front page that the ruling Nepal Communist Party’s leadership is putting pressure on its lawmaker Dhan Bahadur Budha to resign from his position of lawmaker representing Dolpa district’s only constituency in the House of Representatives as it wants to bring its Secretariat member Bamdev Gautam to Parliament.

Gautam had lost the 2017 polls to Nepali Congress candidate from Bardiya. As he was a key figure to bring then CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre together, chairmen of the party—KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal—have requested Budha to resign, accoridnig to the report.

Now, if the party’s plan works, the Election Commission will hold a byelection in Dolpa, in which the party will field Gautam. He will defeat the opposition and get elected the House of Representatives member.

Ignored

Distribution of licence to new radio, TV stations put on hold

File: Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

The government has put the distribution of operation licence to new radio and television stations on hold, reports Nagarik.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has argued that the halt was imposed as studies are underway on various issues including radio frequency distribution and capacity building.

The Ministry’s spokesperson Ram Chandra Dhakal says the distribution will resume once the studies will be over.

Nakhkhu jailbird poisons mate to death

Gorkhapatra reports in its anchor story that a jailbird at Nakhkhu Jail in Lalitpur has allegedly killed his peer inside the prison around two and half months ago.

Abhishek Raj Singh from Bageshwari of Banke has been accused of killing Bhakta Bahadur Sunar from Thakurdwara of Bardiya by poisoning, according to an investigation carried out by the Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau. He has prepared the poison inside the jail itself.

Oxygen bottlers withdraw price hike

A group of medical oxygen bottling industrialists has collectively decided to withdraw the hike made in the price of oxygen gas recently, Karobar reports in a snippet. As the companies decided to hike the price by as much as 125 per cent, the government had warned of booking them under the Black Marketing Act, 1975.

Frenchmen held for paedophilia

A four-column story in Republica says the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police on Sunday arrested two French nationals for their alleged involvement in paedopilia in Kathmandu.

With their arrest, the number of paedophilia suspects arrested in last two years has reached 12, and 10 of them are foreigners, according to the report.

The two sexually abused more than eight children in the capital, the report informs.

Interesting

Seven road tunnels in next five years

Representational image

The government plans to build as many as seven road tunnels, stretching around 20 kilometres in total, in next five years, reports Abhiyan in a box story on the front page.

A five-year strategy prepared by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport says road tunnels will be constructed along Tokha-Chhahare, Koteshwor-Jadibuti, Thankot-Chitlang, Khurkot-Chiyabari, Siddhababa and Khuttiya-Dipayal routes, according to the report.

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