News of NCP leaders failing to decide work division among the party’s central leaders has been featured in most national dailies along with a black topped road in Dhulikhel being sold by a few people.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:
Important
NCP remain divided over division
Annapurna Post, Republica and The Kathmandu Post report that the secretariat meeting of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Tuesday failed to decide about work division among the party’s central leaders as top leaders attending the meeting remained divided over as to whether the principle of one-leader one-position should be enforced in the party.
Leaders said the party could not decide about work division as senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal strongly demanded that those holding positions in the government mustn’t be given key roles in the party as long as they remain in the government while party chairman and Prime Minister KP Oli opposed the idea. According to leaders, another party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal remained silent on the issue.
Blacktopped road sold
Kantipur and Nepal Samacharpatra report that a person has sold a stretch of road joining Aarniko Highway and Kathmandu University in Ward No. 4 in Dhulikhel Municipality of Kavre. The road was sold in unison with officials from the Land Revenue Office. The LRO officials haven’t been booked so far. However, police have arrested three people who sold the land. Investigations are ongoing.
More dengue cases found in Dharan
Republica reports that since May 14, the number of dengue patients in Dharan has reached 173, according to Dr Bikas Sah, assistant director of BPKIHS.
As the authorities are being criticised for failing to destroy the eggs and larvae of mosquitoes spreading the dengue fever in Dharan, doctors at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) have identified 32 more patients on Tuesday alone. One more dengue patient was admitted to a Bijayapur hospital on Tuesday.
The local authorities have announced that they will start a campaign to search and destroy the eggs and larvae of the dengue carrier mosquitoes in each house at the affected locality from Wednesday. Dengue is caused by Aedes aegypti.
Ignored
TU hired lecturer ‘after political pressure’
Republica reports that Tribhuvan University Service Commission (TUSC) has been found violating age bar rules while appointing Dambar Dhoj Chemjong at the university’s Central Department of Anthropology (CDA).
Chemjong was 50 years old when he was appointed to the permanent post. His citizenship certificate issued on April 4, 1978 shows that he was 16 at the time.
Clause 5 (D) of the TUSC Lecturer Appointment Criteria and Recommendation Procedure 2066 (2009-2010), which came into effect from January 4, 2010, restricts any candidate above 45 from competing for a permanent post of lecturer.
Professors at TU say that Chemjong was hired under political influence or through nepotism.
Political leaders will be arrested if they do not take TJ process seriously
Republica reports that Australian Ambassador to Nepal Pete Budd said that the leaders directly or indirectly involved in rights violations could face arrest in any country including Australia if they did not take the transitional justice seriously. In an interaction with a group of journalists at his office on Tuesday, Ambassador Budd expressed concern at dillydallying by political actors in Nepal over addressing the issues of serious human rights violations during the decade-long Maoist insurrection. He suggested Nepali political leaders resolve the issues of transitional justice at the earliest to avoid the involvement of extra-territorial elements.
Kathmandu’s air quality still dangerous
The Himalayan Times report that as Nepal is all set to celebrate the 35th World Environment Day today, the capital’s air quality has been labelled ‘unhealthy’ by the government.
The government has said that PM2.5 concentration above 40 microgram per cubic metre (m3) is ‘unhealthy’, whereas the World Health Organisation has set the threshold at 25 µg/m3.
On Tuesday, Pulchowk, for example, recorded PM2.5 concentration of 47.958 µg/m3, which is almost double the WHO standard. Pulchowk registered PM2.5 concentration of 64.60 µg/m3 on Friday, the highest in the past one week. The situation is pretty much the same in Ratnapark, Phora Durbar, Shankha Park, Bhaisipati, Maharajgunj and Bhaktapur, where air quality monitors have been placed. The PM2.5 concentration breached the government set standard at least once a day in the past six days in these locations.
Interesting
Passport bill in limbo due to speaker
Nagarik reports that the Passport Bill which was returned to Parliament by President Bidya Devi Bhandari is in limbo because Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has ignored the bill. Mahara hasn’t held discussion regarding how to take the bill forward. The Speaker is responsible to hold discussion on how to pass the bill and the necessary amendments it needs.
Govt proposes to decrease secretaries’ tenure
Naya Patrika reports that the government has tabled a bill in Parliament which aims to decrease the tenure of government secretaries to three years. Currently a secretary stays in office for five years. The government is taking this measure to make sure its staff work in full potential and aren’t lacklustre.
NCP MP wants Kul Man Ghising investigated
Karobar reports that NCP lawmaker Mahesh Basnet has for an investigation to be conducted against NEA chief Kul Man Ghising for corruption. Basnet said that the NEA had to retrieve over Rs 9 billion in outstanding amount. Speaking at the House meeting on Tuesday, Basnet urged Parliament and the CIAA to investigate Ghising for corruption and fraud.
Heritage experts voice concern over new guthi bill
Kantipur reports that a group of heritage experts, conservationists, lawyers and those who are involved in preserving guthi (trust) have expressed their grave concern about the bill to integrate and amend the Act related to Trust-2075 tabled in the National Assembly, saying that it has some provisions that will destroy the century-old guthi tradition and make it easy for ‘land mafias’ to acquire the land.
Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal on April 29 had registered the bill in the Federal Parliament Secretariat.
Experts argue that the bill is unconstitutional, and was tabled secretly keeping many stakeholders in the dark. Organising a press meet on Sunday, heritage conservationist and senior advocate Bharat Jangam; former member secretary of Pashupati Area Development Trust Govinda Tandon; political economist Dipak Gyawali, among other cultural and heritage experts, expressed their dissatisfaction over government’s action and suggested that the bill be scrapped as it does not incorporate the voice of the stakeholders.
