Various newspapers published in Kathmandu on Tuesday have taken up different facets of the federal budget, which will be presented by Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada in Parliament at 4:00 pm. The Federal Socialist Forum’s decision to join the government has also grabbed the attention of the editors. Here’s a round-up of important, ignored and interesting reports that made it to the press on Tuesday:
Important
Budget announcement for 2018/19 today
Minister for Finance Yubaraj Khatiwada will present the government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year today. Infrastructure, energy, agriculture and tourism are the focus areas of the budget, reports The Kathmandu Post. This is the first time that a full-fledged national budget will be tabled in Parliament after the country adopted federalism in 2015, says Republica.
Similarly, a story published in Karobar adds, the government has set a target of eight per cent economic growth for the the next five years.
Federal Socialist Forum to join government
Federal socialist Forum Nepal has decided to join the government after the party sealed a two-point agreement with the ruling Nepal Communist Party. FSF-N Chair Upendra Yadav and NCP Chairmen KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal signed the agreement, reports Gorkhapatra. The government will now have a two-thirds majority in the 275-member Parliament after the Upendra Yadav-led party comes on board, says The Himalayan Times.
The two-point agreement says the government shall address the demands and issues raised during the Madhesh agitation and amend the constitution. The groundwork for the same will be carried out as per mutual agreement between both parties, reports Naya Patrika.
Meanwhile, with Upendra Yadav’s joining the government, the alliance between the FSFN and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal in Province 2 has started falling apart. The question now is that whether the alliance formed between the parties will continue, adds Annapurna Post.
Supreme Court asks govt to submit Bal Krishna Dhungel’s pardon file
The Supreme Court has asked the government to provide the original documents related to its decision to provide a presidential pardon to murder-convict Bal Krishna Dhungel. A division bench of Justices Mira Khadka and Tanka Bahadur Moktan decided to seek the file for a hearing on Tuesday, according to The Kathmandu Post.
The division bench has been testing the constitutionality of the government’s preparation to release Dhungel. The government was preparing to release 1,034 jail inmates for good conduct on the occasion of Republic Day, adds Republica.
Ignored
Levy is the main source of income for political parties
According to a story published in Nepal Samacharpatra, political parties in Nepal have claimed that levy is their main source of finance to operate the daily activities of the party.
The story further says that the then CPN-UML earns more than Rs 1.5 million per month through levy.
Govt endorses labour directive, salaries to be paid through bank
The Cabinet on Sunday endorsed the Labour Directive-2075. According to the directive prepared by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, labourers now will get their salaries paid through banks. The new directive also states that the salaries of household workers and labourers in the industrial and agricultural sectors will be paid through bank, reports Rajdhani.
Household workers will now get mandatory 12 days of paid leave, according to Abhiyaan.
Universities across Nepal to be categorised
The University Grant Commission has decided to categorise universities across the country. A seven-member committee formed by the UGC decide to categorise two universities as central, five universities as provincial and remaining three universities according to its subject specialisation, reports Nepal Samacharpatra. There are eight universities across the country.
Govt to scrap various trade unions close to political parties
The government is preparing to scrap trade unions in civil service. As per the Federal Civil Service Act, government employees will now have only one authorised trade union. The proposal will soon be presented in Cabinet, Naya Patrika reports quoting Minister Lal Babu Pandit.
Interesting
Biogas plant in Nawalparasi selected as model project
Nepal’s largest biogas plant constructed in Nawalparasi has been selected as the world’s best model project. The Climate Investment Fund selected around 300 projects from 75 countries in the world, of which, the biogas plant project was selected in top 10 projects. Around 147 cylinders of biogas is produced daily, says Karobar.
