Almost all newspapers published in Kathmandu on Friday have prioritised reports related to the investigation into the Nirmala Pant Murder Case, 100 days after the incident. The spat between Province 3 minister Keshav Sthapit and Chief Minister Dormani Paudel has also received considerable attention.
Here’s a summary of important, ignored, and interesting reports that made it to the front pages on Friday.
Important
Hundred days after the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in Bhimdutta Nagar in Far-west Nepal, investigators are still clueless about who perpetrated the crime. The Kathmandu Post reports that four things stand out in the whole investigation process: lapses in DNA tests, the conclusion of the post-mortem report that the girl’s vocal cord was broken, the lost CCTV footages of a nearby hotel, and the proximity of army barracks to the crime scene. Similarly, Republica says that despite investigations at seven layers and deployment of scores of undercover agents, investigators are still clueless about the case.
Govt Decides to reclaim forest from Tapoban
The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur report that the government has decided to reclaim land leased to Osho Tapoban, an international commune and forest retreat named after Osho Rajneesh. The decision comes as the commune was found to have breached conservation laws by building infrastructure on land that falls in the buffer zone of the Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park.
Ignored
NCP lawmakers demand political rights for NRNs
Republica reports that a group of NCP lawmakers have demanded that non-residential Nepalis be granted political rights. The report says that the demand is against the spirit of the constitution as it says that NRNs can only enjoy economic, social and cultural rights. Four lawmakers from the party: Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel, Ganesh Pahadi, Indu Kumari Sharma and Kumari Tulsi Thapa registered an amendment to the new Citizenship Act demanding the removal of a provision barring political rights for NRNs.
World Bank calls for structural reforms in economy
The World Bank has pointed out the need to introduce structural reforms in the economy, reports Karobar. The paper says that the bank has called for concerted efforts and optimum use of resources to help Nepal become a middle-income country by 2030. The bank has said that Nepal needs to transform from a remittance-dependent economy to an economy based on investment and production if it is to achieve its development goals.
Interesting
Nepal on course to achieving 6% growth for four consecutive years
Nepal has been projected to register at least 6 per cent economic growth in the current and the next fiscal. If the projections turn into reality, this would be the first time the country achieves this feat. According to a World Bank projection, Nepal is expected to grow at 5.9 per cent in 2019 and 6 per cent in 2020. In the last two fiscals, Nepal registered growths of 7.9 and 6.3 per cent respectively.
Mobile app to provide real-time data on water and electricity
Karobar reports that the government is preparing to launch an app that will provide realtime data on the state of power plants and rivers across the country. The apps, ‘NPower and NWater’ is being launched by the National Planning Commission to facilitate development planning at different levels.
