Major English and Nepali newspapers published from Kathmandu Valley today have prioritised losses and destructions caused by floods and landslides in various parts of the country, relief support from various groups and organisations, Dr Govinda KC’s fast-unto-death and contemporary political issues.
Important
Monsoon crisis: Government to provide Rs 2 lakh support to each family of deceased
As the death toll in various incidents of floods and landslides in past three days has crossed 70, the government on Sunday announced that it will provide Rs 200,000 cash support to each family of the deceased.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had called an emergency Cabinet meeting, which announced the support. Almost all newspapers published from Kathmandu have also reported that all ministers including the PM are contributing their one-month salary for relief to the victims.
The Cabinet also decided that the government would form teams and mobilise them to effectively carry out rescue and relief efforts and Prime Minister Deuba himself would oversee the campaign, Minister for Information and Communications Mohan Bahadur has been quoted in The Himalayan Times report.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress has decided to contribute one-month salary of all of its lawmakers. Various non-government organisations including Non-Resident Nepalis Association and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry have also set up support funds for flood and landslide victims.
Medical Education Bill: UML blocking solution?
The government has not been able to find a solution to convince Dr Govinda KC to break his fast-unto-death and the doctor’s strike has entered the 22nd day today, reports Republica.
Of late, the two sides have not been able to sit for talks as Dr KC’s representatives have been blaming the government that it is not serious to address the issues.
Meanwhile, The Kathmandu Post report says though the Prime Minister is ready to fulfill all demands of the agitating doctor, the solution is still away as the main opposition CPN-UML is not convinced to draft the Medical Education Bill as demanded by him.
Ruling parties, Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre, proposed that the government purchase the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences as Dr KC is adamant that no new medical college be established in Kathmandu Valley for next 10 years. But, the CPN-UML did not agree on the proposal.
The Manmohan Institute is owned by UML lawmakers including Rajendra Pandey.
Meanwhile, the fasting doctor’s health is gradually deteriorating.
Ignored
Chinese Vice-Premier arriving in Kathmandu today
Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang is arriving in Kathmandu on Monday for an official visit to Nepal, reports The Kathmandu Post.
During his visit, the two countries will sign some deals related to reconstruction and investment on infrastructure, among others, the Post report says, adding he is the senior-most Chinese official to visit Nepal since 2012 when then Premier Wen Jiabo visited Kathmandu for a short period.
The diplomatic community has given prominence to Wang’s visit as Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to visit India very soon and India and China are currently locked in a dispute over Doklam tri-junction, the report comments.
While the official will inaugurate China-assisted Basantapur Durbar Restoration Project on Tuesday, he will meet major political leaders before returning home.
RJPN unlikely to get umbrella; Constitution bill to be put to vote on Tuesday
After the agitating Rastiya Janata Party agreed to take part in the third phase of local level elections in Province 2 scheduled for September 18, the government requested Election Commission to grant umbrella as the election symbol of the party. The Commission, however, has said the new symbol cannot be given as ballot papers have already been printed, reports The Himalayan Times.
Election Commissioner Narendra Dahal has told the newspaper that existing laws cannot allow the constitutional body to provide a new symbol to any party registered after the announcement of election dates.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to put the constitution amendment bill to vote on Tuesday as it had made a commitment to the agitating party, according to Rajdhani. The RJPN had agreed to contest the polls only after the government had agreed that it would put the bill to vote at the earliest.
Interesting
168,000 land purchases made in Kathmandu Valley in one year
Land revenue offices in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts have recorded that total 168,055 transactions of land and house have been made in the valley in last fiscal year (2016/17). An Abhiyan front page story says this is 31 per cent more than the record of previous year.
However, in the second half of the previous fiscal year, the number of transactions came down as Nepal Rastra Bank imposed a restriction for commercial and development banks to release loan for real estate citing liquidity crisis. But, real estate agents say people are forced to invest in land as they do not have other reliable options to keep their money safe.
Cpital-centric infrastructural development has also been blamed for increasing purchase of lands and houses in the valley.
