Major English and Nepali broadsheet newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday have prioritised two major political issues: delineation of 165 federal and 330 provincial constituencies; and the government’s decision to hold polls to the Provincial Assembly and federal House of Representatives in two phases.
China’s announcement of promoting Rasuwagadhi customs point, which borders with Nepal, as an international crossing has also received prominence in the process today.
Important
Constituencies for provincial, federal polls carved out
The Constituency Delineation Commission submitted its report to the government on Wednesday, the final day of its extended deadline, and almost all newspapers have covered the event in the front page.
As assigned by the constitution, the Commission carved 165 constituencies for federal House of Representatives polls whereas the the number of constituencies for elections to the Provincial Assembly is exactly the double of number of federal constituencies in each province.
Kantipur says 21 districts of Terai have 78 constituencies for federal polls whereas 40 districts of hilly region has 70 constituencies. Total 16 districts of hilly region have 17 constituencies. Kathmandu has the highest number of constituencies whereas 35 districts have only one constituency each.
The Himalayan Times says the Commission has considered population as the primary basis for delineation whereas geography was also considered to some extent. It says the delineation will not change for next 20 years.
Rasuwagadhi border point upgraded as international crossing
China on Wednesday has announced that the Kerung-Rasuwagadhi border point between Tibet and Nepal has been promoted as an international crossing.
A front page story in the Annapurna Post interprets this move has been triggered by Nepal’s request with Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang, who had visited Nepal around two weeks ago. According to Kedar Prasad Paneru, Chief of Rasuwagadhi Customs Office on the Nepal side, the decision will come into effect from Friday. He also hopes the decision will promote the region as a tourism hub.
Karobar lead story says citizens of third countries can also enter and exit via the crossing now. Earlier, only Nepali and Chinese citizens could use the border point. It informs that Nepal and China had exchanged an agreement towards promoting this border point, in June this year.
Ignored
Code of conduct for November 26 elections comes into effect
The Election Commission says the code of conduct for the first phase of provincial and federal elections scheduled for November 26 has come into effect on Thursday.
Gorkhapatra says the Commission’s meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav on Wednesday decided to enforce the code from today in order to create and maintain free, fair, transparent and fearless environment for the polls.
Election Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Shah informs that the code will be effective on activities of the government and ministers, local governments, staff of local governments, public organisations and corporations and their staff, government and semi-government organisations, security personnel, staff deployed for the elections and anyone holding the public office.
Candidates, however, have to abide by the code only after nominations of their candidacy are registered, according to the Commission.
NMC misinformed about KNMC’s capital
It has been found that the Nepal Medical Council, a government body authorised to regulate activities of medical professionals in the country, has been misinformed about the status of paid-up and authorised capital of the Kathmandu National Medical College, which has recently got affiliation from the Tribhuvan University, Republica‘s anchor story reports.
According to the information provided to Republica by the Office of the Company Registrar, the medical college has an authorised capital of Rs 400 million and paid-up capital of Rs 280 million. However, the report submitted to the NMC states that the college’s authorised capital is around Rs 1 billion and paid-up capital is Rs 400 million.
Meanwhile, the report comments that the composition of college’s management committee also violates the law as it only has three members whereas at least there should have been five members.
Interesting
Patients ‘being sold’ in Rajbiraj
Patients are ‘being sold’ to private clinics and hospitals in Rajbiraj from the premises of major government health facility in the city, Kantipur anchor story has reported.
Agents and middlemen are found trying to send patients admitted and waiting to be admitted to the Gajendra Narayan Singh Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital to other private facilities, the report says, adding these people receive hefty sums from private hospitals for sending the patients to them. The private hospitals also pay drivers of ambulances and vans carrying the patients. The drivers are paid around Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 for each patient.
It has been learned that such patients are taken to as far as Biratnagar. A local has been quoted in the report as saying that hospitals in the region have appointed and mobilised a number of marketing executives to force patients to get admitted to them.
