As the country marked that National Paddy Day just on Sunday, many newspapers have highlighted stories related to Nepal’s agriculture sector on their front pages on Monday. On the other hand, the government decision to host the International Indian Film Academy awards event in Kathmandu has become a fresh topic of debate in Kathmandu as many stakeholders including political party leaders and members of the public protested the government decision, arguing it would cost the government a lot. Few newspapers have analysed the issue from multiple perspectives.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories published on front pages of Kathmandu broadsheet dailies, both Nepali and English, on Monday.
Important
Sarlahi protester killed in police firing
A youth from Ishwarpur municipality in Sarlahi district of southeastern Nepal died after being hit by bullets fired by police during a protest on Sunday, according to media reports.
Saroj Narayan Mahato aka dewan, 27, was hit on the head during the protest and died in the course of treatment. His kin, however, say he died on the spot, according to a brief story in Nagarik.
Over one dozen people from both the sides have sustained injuries in the clash.
Kantipur informs that the locals had launched a demonstration after a child drowned in a pit dug to extract sand. Following the incident, the locals had blocked the East West Highway demanding compensation from the sand mine operators.
TJ appointments further delayed
Republica reports in its lead story for the day that the government is unlikely to appoint officials at twin commissions assigned to deal with transitional justice cases as it formed another panel just recently to finalise criteria for the positions.
While the panel led by former chief justice Om Prakash Mishra has failed to give the names even weeks after the expiry of the tenure, the government assigned a panel led by former justice Prakash Wasti to finalise criteria for them, according to the report.
It has been learned that total 57 candidates have submitted their applications to the Mishra-led committee for 10 positions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.
Ignored
Pathak deposited his money in a junior staffer’s account
The lead story in Nagarik reports that former commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Raj Narayan Pathak, deposited the money he earned by misusing his position, into a bank account of a junior staffer of the TIA Immigration Office.
Pathak had resigned earlier this year after he was accused of bribery. Currently, he faces a corruption case at the Special Court.
The report claims that Lalit Kumar Jha, a non-gazetted officer of the Immigration, has failed to ascertain the source of more than Rs 15 million in his account, and the investigators have claimed that it is Pathak’s money.
Court tells govt to shut all factories around Lumbini
The Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the government to shut down all factories located within the 15 km radius of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Kantipur reports that a division bench of justice Tej Bahadur KC and Manoj Kumar Sharma issued the verdict in response to a writ filed by senior advocate Prakash Mani Sharma.
Sharma, in his writ, had claimed that cement factories near the historical place polluted the entire site and it was also against a decision of the Industrial Promotion Board.
Deported US man says he was traumatised at Kathmandu airport
The Himalayan Times lead story for the day elaborates what Penpa Tsering, who was recently deported to the United States from the Kathmandu airport, had to say.
Immigration officials of the airport had deported him on June 22 on suspicion of being an agent of exiled Dalai Lama. However, multiple media reports after that have claimed it was a different Penpa Tsering that the Chinese government had asked Nepal to look for.
In an email interview with the newspaper, the 53-year-old Nepal-born American said the incident left him shocked, helpless and traumatised.
Samajwadi Party may quit govt anytime soon
A snippet in The Kathmandu Post reports that the Samajwadi Party Nepal is thinking of quitting the government so that it can raise its voice for constitution amendment more strongly. Leaders of the party say they have waited too long, but the incumbent government led by KP Sharma Oli has not taken any step to address their demand.
The Party is in the Cabinet under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Upendra Yadav. Yadav’s party had joined the government 13 months ago after Oli had agreed to amend the constitution through consensus.
Minister Gyawali off to China
Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has left for China on Sunday to attended the annual meeting of World Economic Forum, according to a three column story in Gorkhapatra.
After attending the three-day event in Dalian of China, Oli will return home on Friday.
Interesting
Two ministries at odds over commanding Social Welfare Council
Nepal Samacharpatra reports in its lead story that two ministries–Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens–are seen at odds over the right to control the Social Welfare Council, the government body authorised to regulate activities of national and international non-government organisations.
The Council is functioning under the Ministry of Women, but officials of the Home Ministry now want to keep it under them, the report informs. The NGO community, however, has insisted that the body should be under the Women Ministry as now.
As the government needs to introduce a new law to operate the Council, the two ministries are preparing the draft differently, the report adds.
