Most broadsheet newspapers (both in Nepali and English) published in Kathmandu on Sunday, May 22, 2016 have given priority to the government’s preparations to table the new Fiscal Year’s budget.

Important

Budget likely to exceed Rs 1 trillion

The Himalayan Times  in its lead story for the day says the government is preparing to present a budget of more than Rs 1 trillion for the new fiscal, with major focus on road and energy sectors. The report says the government is going to prioritise projects such as the Kathmandu-Nijgadh, Rasuwagadi-Syafrubesi-Trishuli-Galchhi-Malekhu-Bhandara-Thori, Kimathanka-Biratnagar and the Jomsom-Lomanthang-Korala roads. The report adds, “The government will allocate funds to clear land compensation for the 1,200MW Budhigandaki hydro project. Two other projects, namely, the 300MW Dudhkoshi storage hydro project and the 700MW West Seti hydroproject will be initiated in the coming fiscal.”

Meanwhile, Nagarik reports that the Maoists and the UML are preparing to implement the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between Prachanda and Oli to allow the Maoists to lead the government after the new budget is passed.

Nepali Congress-Madheshi parties in talks 

Naya Patrika in its five-column lead story for the day, says leaders of the principal opposition the Nepali Congress and the Madheshi Morcha have been talking on a regular basis. It says that the Nepali Congress wants to lead from the front to resolve the Madheshi agitation. The report uses electoral data to say that the Nepali Congress’ base is in the Terai, and the party has grass-root support there. It also says that the Madheshi parties are slowly being convinced that a political mechanism under the leadership of the Nepali Congress can only resolve the problems of the Madhesh.

Buddha Jayanti observed  

Gorkhapatra in its lead story says President Bidya Devi Bhandair, Prime Minister Oli, Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist leader Prachanda attended a government-organised function in Lumbini to mark the 2560th Buddha Jayanti. According to the five-column report, President Bhandari has called on everyone to help implement the Lumbini area development master plan. The paper also says that the International Buddhist Conference, which began in Kathmandu on Thursday, concluded in Lumbini on Saturday with the issuing of a 10-point Lumbini Declaration.

Ignored

Cyclone Roanu behind pre-monsoon rains in Nepal

Rajdhani in its anchor for the day says Cyclone Roanu, which has made landfall in Bangladesh, is behind the pre-monsoon rains in Nepal. The report quotes a Met official as saying that more rain is expected in the next two days.

 

Interesting

Nepal tops South Asia in food security 

Karobar, in its anchor for the day, says the recently updated World Hunger Index (WHI) shows that although Nepal is one of the countries in the world where there is a food shortage, the situation is much worse in other South Asian countries.