Daily newspapers published in Kathmandu on Tuesday have prioritised a host of political, social and economic issues on their front pages. Indian Prime Minister Modi’s impending visit to Nepal and its preparations, the 12th anniversary of the conclusion of the Second People’s Movement and the impact of the 2015 earthquake three years on, are some of the stories that have made it to the front pages. Here’s a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories in the press on Tuesday.
Janakpur to felicitate Modi during Nepal visit
The Kathmandu Post says Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Kathmandu on May 11. The paper says that two separate civic receptions are being organised for the visiting Prime Minister in Kathmandu and in Janakpur. Modi is also likely to travel to the Muktinath temple and lay the foundation stone to the Arun III hydro project. It adds that a preliminary team has arrived from India to study the situation and coordinate with Nepali officials on matters related to security and logistics.
Acting CJ courts controversy, meets Prachanda
The Himalayan Times reports that Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee met CPN-MC chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal for 40 minutes on Saturday. The paper says that Joshee admitted to meeting Dahal, but only as a ‘friend’. “It is not that judges cannot meet their friends,” Joshee was quoted as saying. Constitution expert Bhimarjun Acharya told the paper that the meeting was a violation of the norms of an independent judiciary.
Ignored
Traffic congestion causes delays at TIA
Naya Patrika reports that lack of adequate infrastructure at Nepal’s only international airport has triggered unprecedented congestion. The paper reports that planes are forced to make several rounds in the air before getting the clearance to land in Kathmandu. It says that because of this, passengers are forced to wait for a long time in the air even after arriving in Nepal. It says that the TIA’s infrastructure has not been upgraded for the last 28 years. Although various studies have recommended that the domestic section of the airport be moved to Thulachaur in Kavre, the government has not taken the proposal seriously.
Quake survivors building ‘one-room houses’ to get govt aid
The Kathmandu Post reports that familes affected by the 2015 earthquake are building ‘one-room houses’ to get the government’s reconstruction aid. The paper reports that families who are affluent and have houses in other places such as Kathmandu are constructing one-room houses only to get government cash.
Interesting
Docs to be held responsible for illegible prescription
Nepal Medical Council has ordered doctors in the country to write clearly on prescriptions so that patients can understand the diagnosis and the prescribed medicine. In a recent notification, the NMA said that doctors whose writing is illegible will be punished. The council has also made in mandatory for doctors to mention their name, address and registration number on their prescription sheets.
Nijgadh Airport to be built in PPP model
Officials from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation have recommended that the Second International Airport be built under the PPP model. In a report prepared by the ministry’s aviation security department, officials have said that the airport cannot be constructed under any other model. Although the Nijgadh Airport has been part of the official discourse for a long time, it is still not clear how the government will build it. Minister Rabindra Adhikari, who took charge of the ministry recently, had said that the model would be finalised within 100 days.
