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From the Kathmandu Press: Sunday, June 30, 2019

Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Sunday have given priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres on their front pages. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s statements during three important events on Saturday–on different issues: the need of tree plantation and greenery, Nepal’s foreign relations and the political principle of his Nepal Communist Party–received attention of the newspaper editors and reporters. As the country celebrates the National Paddy Day today, some news stories related to the country’s agricultural landscape have also been prioritised.

Here’s a summary of key issues discussed on the front pages of Kathmandu broadsheets today.

Important

Nepal unlikely to meet paddy production target

As the country is celebrating the National Paddy Day on Sunday, data have shown a gloomy picture of the country’s agricultural economy, Rajdhani reports in a three column story.

The government has targeted that seven million metric tonne paddy would be produced in the next fiscal year. However, it is unlikely to achieve that owing to delayed monsoon and lack of chemical fertilisers among others, the report claims. The target itself is also 1.5 million metric tonne bigger than the produce of this year.

Likewise, Annapurna Post says farmers in the Tarai region have complained of drought even during the monsoon.

But, the state-run Gorkhapatra adds that the government is hopeful of meeting the target as it has already set another ambition–to double the amount of agricultural produce of the country within next five years.

Did Oli agree on People’s Democracy?

L-R: KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal

A three column story in Annapurna Post claims that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed his readiness to accept People’s Democracy as the political principle of his Nepal Communist Party. Leaders of the ruling party are struggling hard to decide the party’s political line as those belonging to the UML and the Maoist Centre, which merged to form the NCP last year, advocated for People’s Multiparty Democracy and people’s Democracy respectively.

Though he agreed to accept the ‘Maoist Centre’s’ People’s Democracy, Oli still argues that both the principles have the same essence, according to the report.

Nagarik and Republica have also carried stories on the issue, claiming the party ‘ditched’ Madan Bhandari’s ‘People’s Multiparty Democracy’.

Four workers die of suffocation

Nepal Samacharpatra, Naya Patrika, Annapurna Post and Republica report that four workers suffocated to death while constructing a septic tank in Sunbarsi municipality of Morang district in eastern Nepal on Saturday.

One of their colleagues, however, survived the danger, according to the District Police Office.

Police have informed that they were rescued unconscious from the construction site, and died while being rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Kathmandu waste disposal halted for five days

File image

Naya Patrika and Rajdhani report that municipal authorities have failed to dispose garbage from the Kathmandu Valley for past five days as locals of Sisdole in Nuwakot district, where the capital’s dumping site lies, launched a protest and barred the garbage trucks putting forth various demands.

The valley produces around 1,100 tonne waste every day.

Doctors have expressed concerns over the delay in solving the problem as it would create various infections, according to Rajdhani.

Meanwhile, protesting locals clashed with police on Saturday and the law enforcers detained 11 of them, reports Naya Patrika.

Ignored

PM seeks uniform stance on foreign policy

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli speaks at a function in Kathmandu, on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stressed the need of a uniform foreign policy for all parties in the country, according to the lead story in The Himalayan Times.

Inaugurating an interaction programme organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu on Saturday, the Prime Minister also said, “We are pursuing our foreign policies to spur development in all fields and I am confident that we will be able to lift our country out of poverty soon.”

He was of the view that economic diplomacy should be a priority of the country.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister claimed that the government would implement the report of the Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India Relations soon, according to Gorkhapatra.

AFU begins construction in disputed land without approving design

A box story in Kantipur reports that the Agriculture and Forestry University has begun constructing a building in a land in Hetaunda Sub-Metropolitan City-10 of Makawanpur district without acquiring an approval for the building design. Further, the land is disputed as Tribhuvan University has been claiming ownership over the land and a case in this regard is subjudice.

Meanwhile, TU officials have accused the AFU of trying to occupy its land under the protection of the Province 3 government.

Absence of officials in constitutional bodies ‘against constitution’

Many constitutional bodies are running without the chief or other members and it is clearly violating a constitutional provision, Republica reports in its lead story for the day.

Article 284 of the constitution has a mandatory provision for initiating the appointments at the constitutional bodies prior to the expiry of terms of the incumbents. But, the Constitutional Council has repeatedly failed to pick the officials accordingly, the report informs.

Bollywood event lands govt in another controversy

File: Bhim Rawal

The government’s decision to provide funds to host the International Indian Film Academy awards in Kathmandu has drawn flak from stakeholders and members of the public recently, reports The Kathmandu Post in a three column story.

Ruling NCP leader Bhim Rawal and filmmaker Akash Adhikari have been quoted in the report, arguing the event will not support Nepal’s tourism industry in no way as claimed by the government official.

On the other hand, social media users have suggested the government use the money to improve the quality of Nepali films, according to the report.

Interesting

Govt spends Rs 2.5 billion for officials’ trips in 10 months

Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel receives Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on June 24, 2018.

The federal government spent more than Rs 2.5 billion for visits of various officials inside the country and abroad in a span of 10 months in the current fiscal year, Karobar reports in a two column story.

Data of the Office of the Auditor General reveal that the government’s spending in visits exceeded the allocation. Rs 1.72 billion was allocated for such trips for this year, but Rs 2.15 billion was spent in the first half alone.

 

 

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