Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu Valley on Wednesday have given priority to a variety of issues from political, sociocultural and financial spheres. Comparatively, there are fewer issues that have been made into the front page of most of the newspapers today.
At least three broadsheets have published reports about the contract signed between the Nepal Army and a South Korean company for the preparation of a detailed project report for the proposed Kathmandu-Terai fast track. Likewise, activities of various parliamentary committees have also been highlighted on the front pages of major newspapers though the Federal Parliament has already been prorogued.
As the biggest festival of Nepalis, Dashain, is approaching closer, some newspapers have published reports about preparations for the festival.
Important
Rs 101 million contract for fast track DPR
Gorkhapatra, Nagarik, Naya Patrika, Karobar, Rajdhani and The Kathmandu Post report that the Nepal Army is paying Rs 101 million to the South Korean firm, Soosung Engineering, for the preparation of a detailed project report for the Kathmandu-Terai fast track.
The national military organisation had initiated the process to appoint the new contractor after Indian company, IL&FS demanded Rs 1 billion for the DPR it had already prepared, according to Naya Patrika.
Lawmakers demand probe into army’s financial irregularities
The Kathmandu Post reports in its lead story that members of the State Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives have demanded that a high level parliamentary committee be formed to probe the alleged financial irregularities in the Nepal Army as reported by some media outlets.
The demand follows reports about the increasing involvement of the national defence force in business related activities.
The Committee had summoned Defence Minister Ishwar Pokharel, Defence Secretary Bishnu Prsad Lamsal and Army Chief Purna Chandra Thapa to the meeting yesterday to discuss the issue.
Ignored
Chiribabu Maharjan’s 10th foreign trip in 16 months
The Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Chiribabu Maharjan, left for Mongolia on Tuesday, on his 10th foreign trip since he assumed office around 16 months ago, reports Nepal Samacharpatra in its lead story for the day.
The report claims that Maharjan, who apparently is the chief of any local body in the country visiting other countries for the highest number of times currently, decided to go to Mongolia for a function on sustainable transportation though other members of the local government and his advisors suggested he cancel the trip.
TIA lacks technology to check biometric information
Kantipur reports in a brief box story that Nepal’s single international airport does not have any technology to check biometric information of people arriving in the country. Whereas Nepal grants on-arrival tourist visa to citizens of most of the countries, the lack of sufficient surveillance technologies has allowed smugglers to use the Tribhuvan International Airport as a hub for their illegal transactions, according to the report.
Lawmakers want DPR prepared before cutting down trees
Members of Parliament representing Makawanpur, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts have demanded that the government do not begin chopping down trees of the forest area in Nijgadh in Bara district immediately for the construction of an international airport there, Rajdhani reports in a three column box story.
They have demanded that the government prepare a detailed project report for the airport first before destroying the forest area.
CJ demands Administrative Court’s jurisdiction expanded
Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra has demanded that the government give more power and authority to the Administrative Court as recommended by the full bench of apex court sometimes ago.
Mishra’s comment comes at a time when the House of Representatives is discussing a bill about the Administrative Court.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal assured that the court’s jurisdiction would be expanded to all seven provinces of the country, according to a report in Gorkhapatra.
Interesting
TU LLB: Capacity 600, enrolled students 12,000
Republica reports in a three column story that around 12,000 students have got themselves enrolled for the Bachelor of Law (LLB) programme of the Tribhuvan University though the university has the capacity to teach only 600 students in one year.
The university’s Nepal Law Campus earned Rs 108 million in admission fees, the newspaper report says, adding this is said to be an all time high in admissions at one college in a single year. The campus authorities said that the number is still increasing.
