Broadsheet dailies (both in Nepali and English) published in Kathmandu on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, have given space to a variety of issues on their front page. The contest between Ramchandra Paudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba for Nepali Congress PP leadership, the EU’s Kathmandu missions’ response to Nepal’s concerns over the India-EU joint statement issued during a bilateral summit in Brussels, and the ruling party UML’s Politburo meeting have received considerable attention. Some papers have also given prominent space to news about Upper Karnali Hydro (900 MW), which the Indian company GMR is planning to build in Nepal.

Important

Upper Karnali and GMR

Although only a handful of papers have given front page space to the issue, the papers that have done so have given the story prominent space. While Karobar says GMR officials and prospective investors, who are in Kathmandu, are working on a plan to finance the project, Nagarik’s lead story says GMR is preparing to quit.

According to Karobar, officials from the Asian Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, World Bank and European Investment Bank are in Nepal’s capital to discuss the project’s details. The report says that the officials will prepare a report on the project for their respective agencies, based on which they will decide whether they want to be involved or not. The report says that ADB, IFC and EIB are preparing to invest Rs 110 billion in the project. According to the project’s DPR, the project comes with a price tag of Rs 140 billion.

Nagarik, meanwhile, quotes a source from the Energy Ministry saying that GMR is in a financial mess, and it is preparing to sell its stake in GMR Upper Karnali Hydropower Limited, the promoter company of the project. The report says that looking at GMR’s financials, none of the multilateral finance agencies will be willing to invest in a project promoted by it. The report quotes a GMR source as saying that the meeting in Kathmandu with multilateral agencies was convened by GMR to discuss its possible exit from the project. 

UML Politburo meeting

CPN-UML, the ruling party, is preparing for its first central committee meeting since its leader KP Oli became Prime Minister. The party’s Politburo is currently preparing for the central committee meeting. The report presented by PM Oli during the meeting has received space in most of the papers published in Kathmandu. While Nagarik , in its three-column story, reports that the Prime Minister told party leaders that he was worried that the Nepali Congress could backtrack on its commitment to implement the new constitution, and it may instigate instability in the country. According to the report, the Prime Minister has identified four tendencies within the Nepali Congress that could create instability in the future. He identified Nepali Congress’s inability to raise issues of sovereignty, some leaders’ bias against communists, statements made by recently-elected leaders against principles of the constitution, and international interference as the main concerns of the party.

EU’s take on Brussels statement

Rajdhani, Nepal Samacharpatra, The Himalayan Times have a report on the meeting between the EU delegation in Nepal, and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa. While Rajdhani’s headline says the delegation was quizzed on the issue, The Himalayan Times reports that the head of EU mission to Nepal Rinsje Teerink expressed surprise that Nepal figured in the joint statement. “Our intention was not to offend Nepal. I am surprised by its language,” the report quoted Teerink as saying.

Ignored 

Weather challenges climbers

The Himalayan Times, which has been giving considerable space to aviation-tourism stories on its front page, has a story on how avalanches are hampering mountaineers’ preparations this season. In its six-column story (covering entire upper fold) with a banner headline, the report says, two avalanches in the last three days on Nuptse and Pumori have left mountaineers struggling. The news from Everest is also not exciting. “We have halted our work for two days due to unfavourable weather condition,” an icefall doctor Gelje Sherpa told the paper.

Interesting 

Insurance for ostrich, mushroom farming

Abhiyan, an economic daily, has an anchor story on the Insurance Board’s recent decision to introduce schemes for ostrich farmers and mushroom growers. According to the report, the premium for these insurance schemes has been fixed at 2-5 per cent of the insurance amount.

The schemes will provide cover for fire, lightning strike, drought and other calamities, says the report.

More UN peacekeepers

Nepal Samachapartra has a single column story on its upper fold on government’s plans to increase the number of Nepali Army personnel going on international peacekeeping missions. According to the report, the government has recently given the NA permission to allow 10 per cent of its personnel to participate in international missions. Previously, the number stood at 5 per cent.