More leaders associated with Netra Bikram Chand-led Nepal Communist Party have been arrested by police. Reports related to this development have been featured in a few newspapers along with news of multiple dengue cases being reported in the Kathmandu valley.
Here’s a summary of important, ignored and interesting reports that made it to the front pages on Sunday:
Important
Police continue to arrest Chand cadres
Nagarik and Republica report that police continue to arrest key members of Netra Bikram Chand-led outfit instead of gearing up initiatives for talks. Police arrested Khem Thapaliya, head of the outfit’s cultural wing Akhil Nepal Janasanskritik Mahasangh, in Kathmandu on Saturday. A special team of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF) nabbed him when he came out of a meeting of the Progressive Writers’ Association at Bagbazar.
Minister for Information and Communication Gokul Baskota, who is also the government’s spokesman, said at a recent press meet that the government would give the Chand group red carpet treatment if it was sincere about talks, however, the government has taken no steps towards holding talks.
Centre still wants to hire civil servants and police at provincial level
Republica reports that the provincial governments are still unable to exercise their constitutional powers, including the recruitment of civil servants and provincial police, as the central government is delaying the promulgation of federal laws that will make this possible.
The Constitution of Nepal 2015 has empowered the newly constituted seven provinces to recruit their own civil servants and police and formulate their own policies for education, health, and land reform. But the provinces have been failing to exercise these constitutionally guaranteed powers in the absence of laws concerning concurrent powers between the center and the provinces.
On the other hand, The Himalayan Times reports that Province 2 government has warned it won’t accept the federal government’s recent decision to recruit 9,161 employees in local governments.
Federal Public Service Commission has already conducted written exams for recruitment of 9,161 local level employees as per the FPSC notice published in May for recruitment of 9,161 civil servants in 515 local levels. The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration had instructed the FPSC to recruit local level employees.
Dengue cases reported in Kathmandu
The Himalayan Times reports that the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division revealed that 11 persons were diagnosed with dengue in the Capital from April 14 to August 9 this year. The mosquito-borne disease was reported from Kapurdhara, Baneshwor, Saibu, Imadol, and Harisiddhi, said Uttam Raj Pyakurel, vector control inspector at EDCD. The division has warned that Kathmandu valley is at risk of a dengue outbreak as many people migrate to the Capital from dengue-hit areas. Nepal recorded 3,425 dengue cases from April 14 to August 9 this year in 42 districts.
Govt blacklists Melamchi contractor
Nagarik and Karobar report that High Himalaya-Raman JV, which was selected for tunnel and dam construction of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project, has been blacklisted by the government’s Public Procurement Monitoring Office.
The Public Procurement Monitoring Office had recently issued a notice about blacklisting Raman-Pappu JV, which also affects the High Himalaya-Raman JV. Not only Melamchi, but the blacklisting might also prevent Raman from working on another joint venture at Bheri Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project.
Ignored
Harsher media bill being proposed by govt
The Kathmandu Post reports that after the controversial Information Technology and Media Council Bills, the government is working on a new media-related bill—the Mass Media Bill—which has some provisions that free press campaigners say are aimed at further tightening the administration’s grip on the media sector. The draft bill, which is at the Ministry of Law and Justice for finalisation, proposes hefty fines and jail terms or both for journalists and media houses.
Indigenous movement failing, fear activists
The Kathmandu Post reports that activist believe that the indigenous movement, once a champion for the rights of indigenous people, is losing steam. Activists fighting on behalf of the indigenous population themselves are not hopeful about sustaining their efforts. Nepal’s indigenous movement of late, especially after the promulgation of the constitution, has taken a back seat. But the recent Public Service Commission vacancy notice—a drive to hire more than 9,000 staff for the local bodies—has brought them together to demand that the state uphold the principle of inclusion. Nepal’s indigenous people constitute 35.8 percent of the total population. But historically, their representation in the state organs has been dismal.
Tourism Ministry behind target
The Himalayan Times reports that The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has failed to achieve major targets set for the tourism sector in the government’s 14th national plan.
Progress report of the 14th national plan revealed by tourism ministry on August 6 showed that the target set for increasing the number of tourists had not been met. As per official records, a total of 701,000 tourists visited Nepal in fiscal 2015-16. Based on this, the government had set a target of bringing in 800,000 visitors in fiscal 2016-17, one million in 2017-18 and 1.2 million in 2018-19.
Interesting
Govt confiscating illegal land
Kantipur reports that the government has been confiscating land taken illegally by organisations, people and industries. The government is confiscating land which is more than the proposed ceiling set by the government. The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation has drafted an amendment bill of the Land Act 2021 at the parliament which will help the government acquire land from people, industries and corporations. CIAA in a report prepared in 2016 states that there was about 1900 hectare land which exceeded the land ceiling set by the government.
Cut down number of ministries and departments, suggests review commission
Arthik Abhiyan reports that the Public Expenditure Review Commission has suggested the government to cut down ministries from 22 to 16. It has also asked the government to cut down the number of departments within those ministries from 57 to 35. The commission has submitted a report to Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada asking him to merge various departments which were similar in nature. The report which was submitted in March has not been made public yet.
Bheri-Babai diversion: Irrigation department causing delay
Nagarik reports that the Bheri-Babai Diversion Multipurpose Project which wants to supply provide over 36,000 hectare land with water by December is facing problem due to the irrigation department. The project has asked the irrigation department to pass the budget to it could supply the water to the farmers by December, however that has not been the case. The project wants to divert the water from Bheri into Babai after which it aims to supply it to farmers via an irrigation channel.
