All broadsheet daily newspapers published from Kathmandu on Tuesday have paid their topmost attention to the havoc caused by floods and landslides in various parts of the country owing to incessant rainfall since Sunday night. Newspapers have reported that some people have died in the incidents; but the number of deaths is different from paper to paper.
Medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC’s fast-unto-death in Jumla district continues to catch the attention of newspaper reporters and editors whereas ongoing discussions and debates on National Medical Education Bill have also been featured on the front pages of newspapers today.
Stories about few other political, sociocultural and economic issues have also been published with a priority on the front pages.
Important
Nearly dozen killed in floods, landslides
As newspapers have reported different figures about casualties caused by floods and landslides, Annapurna Post says at least 12 persons have been killed in the incidents in various parts of the country. At least eight persons have died in Province 5 only whereas districts from Jhapa to Bardiya in the plains have been affected due to floods, according to the report.
Kantipur and Gorkhapatra say 11 persons have died whereas for Nagarik, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times, the figure stands at 9.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has directed chief district officers and police chiefs of all 77 districts not to leave their workstation as they might have to prepare for disaster response, reports Annapurna Post.
On the other hand, heavy rainfall has been predicted in central and eastern regions for the country today, according to Nepal Samacharpatra.
Dr KC not given arrest warrant yet
Medical education reform activist Dr Govinda KC is in police custody for last three days, but he has not been given any arrest warrant or any other document that informs him about the reason behind his arrest, reports Kantipur.
DSP Padam Kumar Dahal, however, says he was not arrested, but detained briefly in a bid to prevent any possible clash, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Dr KC said he would continue his struggle till all his demands were met, according to Annapurna Post. Speaking with journalists in Jumla yesterday he said the fight against medical mafia would continue.
His health condition has significantly deteriorates as he crossed the third day of the fast yesterday, according to Nepal Samacharpatra and The Kathmandu Post.
Naya Patrika lead story, on the other hand, reports that Minister for Education Science and Technology, Giriraj Mani Pokharel, is trying to give affiliation to medical colleges going against the law he introduced earlier. Republica warns that the country may witness a serious legal void in medical education legislation as the government decided to withdraw the Medical Education Ordinance Replacement Bill owing to the protest of Nepali Congress while endorsement of another bill is also not likely anytime soon.
Ignored
New law may deprive disaster victims of relief
The government is preparing to formulate and implement a new law which may deprive some categories of natural disaster victims of compensations that they are getting now, according to a three-column story in Karobar.
Because the law aims at controlling expenses to be made in the disaster response, people losing their residence to the disasters will not be given compensation. Instead, insurance of such properties will be made mandatory for everyone, the report informs.
Kathmandu city resists waste management project implementation
Republica has accused the Kathmandu Metropolitan City of resisting the implementation of an Integrated Solid Waste Management Project for four months, shattering hopes and expectations of people from the elected leadership.
Investment Board of Nepal is trying to implement the project in Kathmandu and nine other municipalities in cooperation with NepWaste, but the capital city is yet to express its agreement to the project, according to the report. Nine other municipalities, however, have already consented to launch the project.
Interesting
Minimum wage to be increased to Rs 15,300 a month
The government is preparing to increase the minimum wage of workers to Rs 15,300 a month after the Minimum Wage Determination Committee could not forge an agreement in this regard, according to Naya Patrika. The current minimum wage rate is Rs 9,700 and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security is mulling over the raise, the report informs.
Meanwhile, the report adds that a typical Nepali family spends Rs 25,928 a month on an average.
Nepal imported playing cards worth Rs 120 million in 10 months
Officially, gambling and playing cards is illegal in Nepal for Nepali citizens though it is open to foreign tourists here. However, the country spends millions to buy playing cards every year, Nagarik reports in its anchor story.
According to the report, the country spent Rs 120 million in the first 10 months of current fiscal year. More than Rs 109 million has been paid to China for the import of cards, according to the report.
