The CIAA and Parliament are still passing the buck on the Raj Narayan Pathak Corruption Case. This has been covered by all major newspapers published in Kathmandu on Monday. News of Ganga Maya Adhikari receiving her passport has also received attention. Government doctors’ threat to stage a protest regarding their adjustment has also been featured in some newspapers.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the cover pages of national broadsheets:
Important
Parliament and CIAA unsure who will handle bribe case
Naya Patrika, The Kathmandu Post and Republica report that both the CIAA and Parliament have been passing the buck when it comes to arresting former CIAA commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak, accused of corruption.
Their reluctance to take action against Pathak comes after the CIAA commissioner resigned from his position. Parliament, which had initially vowed to probe into the bribery case and impeach Pathak, is now passing the buck on to the anti-graft body arguing that taking action against Pathak falls under the jurisdiction of the anti-graft body. However, the CIAA hasn’t taken any steps to start the investigation.
Ganga Maya gets passport
Republica and The Himalayan Times report that Ganga Maya Adhikari, who wants to tell her story about the murder of her son Krishna Prasad Adhikari to the international community, has acquired a passport from the District Administration Office on Sunday. She has staged a fast-unto-death four times, but the government hasn’t handed her justice. She now wants to seek help from the United Nations and the international community to help her put the criminals behind bar.
NC says govt lost trust
Naya Patrika and Nepal Samacharpatra report that the opposition party Nepali Congress feels that ruling party Nepal Communist Party has lost the trust of the citizens of the country. NC has accused the government of malpractice and adds that the government failed to fulfill promises it made. After PM KP Oli on Friday highlighted the work done by the government in its one year, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba criticised the government at a press conference.
Ignored
Govt doctors to protest adjustment
Republica reports that doctors working for government-run hospitals say they will stop going to work and resign if the civil service adjustment act is not amended.
The doctors have rejected a government plan to put them under the provincial and local governments and are demanding that the Civil Servants Adjustment Bill be revised to place them under the federal government, according to the agitating Government Doctors’ Association of Nepal (Godan). The bill has already been passed by the lower house of Parliament and is currently under consideration in the upper house.
Organizing a press meet on Sunday, Godan announced a new week-long protest.
Nepal becoming home to old fire engines
Nepal Samacharpatra reports that most fire engines being brought to Nepal these days are ones which have been worn out due to excessive use. The fire engines at Kathmandu Metropolitan City fire brigade are around two decades old. Over the past decade, Nepali agencies have been asking for fire engines from countries in the west, and they have been receiving fire fighting materials which are of no use in their country.
International academics concerned over harassment allegations against Bhattachan
The Kathmandu Post reports that the Britain-Nepal Academic Council has issued a statement raising concerns about the lack of investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against retired Tribhuvan University lecturer Krishna Bahadur Bhattachan.
The BNAC statement, which stops short of naming Bhattachan, urges Tribhuvan University and Nepal’s other universities to take initiatives to introduce policies and codes of conduct to ensure a safe working environment, and “not to rely solely on the law of the land”.
Interesting
Melamchi Drinking Water board asking new tender for project completion
Naya Patrika reports that the Melamchi Drinking Water board has issued tenders for the completion of the project. The board has given construction companies a week’s deadline to apply for the tender. Wanting to complete the project quickly, the board has announced that it will hire multiple contractors to finish the project.
Facebook ‘kills’ living Nepali journalist
Annapurna Post carries an interesting story which says one of its senior journalists who is still living has been declared dead by social media site, Facebook. Narendra Saud, when trying to log into his account failed to do so and received a message that his account was in a special memorialised state. When he contacted its help desk, Facebook asked him to send him a photo of himself along with government documents.
Nepal’s weakness: Not gaining foreign investors’ confidence
Arthik Abhiyan reports that ambassadors from various countries have said that the reason Nepal doesn’t get foreign investment is due to lack of a proper plan. At a program hosted by FNCCI, the ambassadors said that Nepal would get foreign investment only if it created a platform for investors.
