News of RJPN leader Resham Chaudhary and ten others being sentenced to life for 2015 violence in Tikapur has received considerable attention in all national dailies. Similarly, RJPN withdrawing support from the government has also been discussed in the newspapers.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:
Important
RJPN withdraws support to overnment
The Himalayan Times report that the Rashtriya Janata Party Nepal has withdrawn its support to the government. The party decision came hours after its elected Member of Parliament and Tikapur carnage conspirator Resham Chaudary and 11 others were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Kailali district Court. Issuing a statement, the RJPN termed the one year tenure of government unsuccessful in matters pertaining to constitution amendment, curbing corruption, arbitrary influence over bureaucracy and failure to withdraw ‘false’ charges against those jailed for Madesh and Tharuhut agitations among others.
Chaudhary might not lose House seat
Republica reports that despite the conviction of House of Representatives Member Resham Chaudhary in the Tikapur lynchings case Wednesday, legal experts have said that he might not lose his parliamentary seat any time soon as he has the right to appeal. They argue that since Chaudhary can appeal against the Kailali District Court verdict his seat will not fall vacant until there is a ruling from a court of last resort.
A spokesman at the parliament secretariat Rojnath Pandey also said that Chaudhary might not lose his seat at once. Rule 244 of the House of Representatives Regulations says that MPs may not lose their seats in such cases until a final court decision.
Vice Presidents son’s statement to be taken by the CIAA
Annapurna Post reports that the CIAA will take statements from Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun’s son Dipesh Pun regarding the Raj Narayan Pathak case. Along with Dipesh, the CIAA will take statements from Maoist student union leader Kailash Magar and 11 others who were involved in the case. CIAA will take statements from Nepal Engineering College Chairman Lambodar Neupane on Thursday.
Ignored
NAC plan to fly to Japan hits turbulence
The Himalayan Times reports that Nepal Airlines Corporation’s plan to start direct flight to Narita International Airport in the Japanese capital city of Tokyo is likely to be delayed further, as Japanese aviation authority is not satisfied with documents submitted earlier by the national flag carrier. Amidst this, some brokers in Japan, including Nepalis, are allegedly pushing NAC to start flights to Osaka rather than Tokyo, which, according to officials, has deepened the problem.
Earlier, a team from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau had visited Nepal to inspect NAC’s overall operation. During that visit, the team had sought NAC’s previous flight audit reports, aircraft operator certificates, operation specification, flight documentation, aircraft inspection report, flight safety programme and details of cabin crew training, among others. NAC had submitted all the documents. However, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau has asked NAC to resubmit the documents that were submitted earlier.
Former Queen Mother hospitalised
Republica and Nepal Samacharpatra report that former Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Shah has been hospitalised after she reported a severe stomach ache on Thursday morning. She was rushed to the Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital.
A hospital source said she is likely to be discharged from the hospital by this evening itself as all necessary tests were over and the results did not show any serious illness. With this Gyanendra Shah’s India visit has been postponed.
Interesting
Education consultancies putting pressure on probe team to not recommend action against them
The Kathmandu Post reports that education consultancies have intensified lobbies to put pressure on a probe team under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to not recommend action against them for sending hundreds of students to an unaccredited institute in Australia and putting their futures in limbo.
The ministry, on February 24, had formed an investigation committee led by a joint-secretary and given it seven days to investigate how the students were sent for a nursing course in an institute that didn’t have validation from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council. However, the committee hasn’t submitted its report even after two weeks since its formation.
9.8 trillion to be spent by 2024
Gorkhapatra, Karobar and Rajdhani report that the National Planning Commission for a better future has proposed that the government spend Rs 9.8 trillion in the next five years. The commission during a meeting on Wednesday highlighted that the country needed investment if needed to be prosperous. They also forecasted that the country’s growth rate would increase by 10 per cent in five years.
The commission in its proposal has said that over Rs 834 billion should be spent on the agricultural sector, Rs 3.4 trillion on the industrial sector and Rs 5.3 trillion on the service sector. Similarly, the commission informed that two national pride projects – the Budi Gandaki Hydro Power Project and West Seti Hydro Power Project work will also start in the next five years.
Paragliding companies in Pokhara operating without license
Naya Patrika reports that almost all paragliding companies in Pokhara have been operating without renewing their license for the past four years. Out of the 56 companies, 55 companies haven’t renewed their licenses. Even though the companies were asked to renew their licenses by the information officer of Gandaki province, they haven’t done so. Pokhara Metropolitan City had warned of closing the paragliding flights from Wednesday, saying the paragliding companies have not paid tax since 2015. But after the companies agreed to pay tax to Pokhara metropolitan city, the services resumed. After the agreement, each paragliding company has to pay Rs 83,000 tax within next week, said Chair of Pokhara metropolis-18, Rana Bahadur Thapa.
