Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday have given priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres. The launch of NepaLeaks, a report of the year-long investigation carried out by the Centre for Investigative Journalism in partnership with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists have received the biggest attention in the front pages of the newspapers today. The newspapers have published various findings of the research.
Meanwhile, the reported crackdown on ride sharing apps like Tootle and Pathao has been significantly discussed on the front pages today. Whereas Naya Patrika reports that the government shut down the businesses, The Himalayan Times reports no action has been taken against them.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the cover pages of national broadsheets:
Important
55 Nepalis have illegal investments abroad
Though existing national laws bar Nepalis from investing abroad, as much as 55 Nepalis have invested in foreign companies illegally, according to the report.
The newspapers say the list includes political leaders, former lawmakers, businesspersons, professors and those whose names were not heard in any of the fields. The list includes founder of the Non-Resident Nepalis Associatoin Upendra Mahato, controversial businessperson Ajeya Raj Sumargi and FNCCI Vice President Chandra Prasad Dhakal among others.
Meanwhile, Nepalis have deposited Rs 52 million in the Swiss banks illegally, according to the report.
Dr KC’s health at risk
A team of six experts has said medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC is in danger, reports Nepal Samacharpatra. Demanding that the government prepare a medical education law in line with an agreement signed with him earlier, the senior orthopaedic surgeon is staging a fast-unto-death in Ilam district of eastern Nepal for past nine days.
Naya Patrika informs in a snippet that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Upendra Yadav had sent the experts’ team to Ilam after the fasting doctor refused to go to other places for his treatment.
Former Minister posts Rs 40 million bail to get released
Kantipur and The Himalayan Times report in snippets that Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader and former minister Bikram Pandey on Wednesday posted a bail of Rs 40 million to get released from the custody of Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. Also the owner of Kalika Construction, Pandey was facing a corruption case at the Special Court. Earlier, the Court had issued a 15 day notice to Pandey, ordering him to present himself before the bench.
Ignored
TU fires 25 professors for ‘private involvement’
Rajdhani reports in a three column story that Tribhuvan University has fired 25 professors after finding out that they were working at other private institutions during the duty time. The university has said the decision was made after they were found absent for 90 days continuously.
Meanwhile, the university also removed 15 non-teaching staff from the service in past one year, according to the report.
Vice President inaugurates illegally built hotel
Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun on Wednesday inaugurated Hotel Task International in Pokhara, but it is inside an illegally built building, Naya Patrika reports in its lead story. The report claims the local government had approved only three floors of the 10 storey building.
Officials of Pokhara Metropolitan City have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Vice President’s presence, but say they are helpless.
Govt says it won’t take action against Tootle, Pathao
The Department of Transport Management has stated that it will not take any action against riding sharing two wheeler services operated through mobile apps, Tootle and Pathao, according to a story in The Himalayan Times.
Though traffic police fined such riders recently, the Department’s director Gokarna Prasad Upadhyaya says, “People have found an alternative to public transport and overwhelmingly support this service. In respect to the public sentiment, we will not take any step to discourage the service for now.”
Interesting
India ready to give new flight routes to Nepal
India has once again expressed its readiness to give new flight routes to Nepal, Karobar reports in its lead story. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari held a meeting with his Indian counterpart Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu in New Delhi on Wednesday, during which the two sides agreed to continue discussions based on a previous agreement, the report informs.
