CK Raut’s Alliance for Independent Madhesh (AIM)’s meeting on Sunday started with the national anthem and that has received a lot of attention in the press on Monday. Similarly, reports that various airlines and government agencies owe the TIA over Rs 2 billion have also received priority. The police is keeping tabs on the whereabouts of Netra Bikram Chand and his party leaders and this has also made headlines on Monday.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:
Important
Biplav and Prakanda under police watch
Nepal Samacharpatra, Nagarik and Radhani report that police are keeping a watchful eye on Netra Bikram Chand aka Biplav and another senior leader Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma aka Prakanda. Police say that Biplav is meeting party cadres and other leaders in Sindhuli. Sources claim Biplav has been taking refuge in jungles and houses of locals. Prakanda, on the other hand, has been seen in Dang where he is being watched by the District Police Office. Security forces have also added that they are in the know about other leaders from the group and added that the splinter group was dormant at the moment.
Airlines and government agencies owe TIA Rs 2 billion
The Himalayan Times and The Kathmandu Post report that airline companies operating in the country and business enterprises and government offices operating inside Tribhuvan International Airport are yet to clear dues worth over Rs 2 billion to TIA, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
Presenting a report on dues at a meeting of Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature-Parliament on Sunday, CAAN stated that a number of airline companies, along with government offices and business enterprises inside TIA, were yet to clear their dues under headings including rental fee, landing charge, parking fees and airport development fund.
Airline companies that have not yet cleared dues to TIA include Nepal Airlines Corporation, Himalaya Airlines, Air India, Air Arabia, Air Asia, Bhutan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Department of Customs, Hotel Radisson and a few government agencies operating inside TIA are also yet to clear their dues.
Ignored
Biplav forces continue to extort money in Surkhet
Republica reports that Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) has issued letters to contractors, elected officials, and businessmen demanding ‘taxes’ for its so-called ‘people’s government’.
The Chand-led party has sent letters and made phone calls to construction contractors, businessmen, local representatives, community forest committees and other individuals asking them to pay ‘taxes’. And some have already started paying to the outfit. According to sources, the CPN has already collected between Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000 each from various community forests in western Surkhet.
According to a community forest committee member, the outfit also issues a receipt after extorting from them.
Dahal expected to meet US vice president
The Kathmandu Post reports that co-chairman of the ruling communist party Pushpa Kamal Dahal is likely to meet with some American officials. Dahal could be meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice G Wells, among others, according to sources. Dahal’s last visit to the United States was in 2008, after he was elected prime minister.
RJP-N obstructs house proceeding again
The Himalayan Times reports that a meeting of the House of Representatives adjourned on Sunday afternoon following the protest of the disgruntled Rashtriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN).
The RJPN parliamentarians obstructed the House session demanding the government to release a report produced by a high-level commission led by former justice Girish Chandra Lal, which was formed to investigate the atrocities committed during the Madhes movement in 2015. This is for the second time the RJPN obstructed the parliament in the past one week. Earlier on March 14, the RJPN had obstructed the parliament for the same reason.
The government has not made public the report produced by the Lal Commission even following the instruction of Speaker Mahara to do so. The report has stated that 66 persons including ten police personnel were killed in the movement.
Interesting
Govt to tighten noose on social media sites
The Himalayan Times and Kantipur report that the government is preparing to control the operation of social networking sites by making it necessary for them to register in the country. The government has clarified that registration of social networking sites is necessary to bring them under tax net of the government. Addressing a programme on the Information and Technology Bill, Communication Minister Gokul Prasad Baskota said the bill intended to manage the digital platform by baking social networking sites register in the country and move the move should not be misinterpreted.
Going against recommendation, University Grant Commission distributing Rs 250 million
Nagarik reports that going against the report submitted by the study committee, the University Grant Commission is giving Rs 250 million to its affiliated campuses. According to sources, the grant is being distributed to 26 colleges after a recommendation from the Tribhuvan University officials. Out of the 26, 24 colleges are affiliated with TU and the remaining two are affiliated with far-western and mid-western universities.
