Major English and Nepali broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Tuesday have prioritised political issues over others. The government’s announcement to hold provincial and federal parliamentary elections on November 26, Parliament’s rejection of the constitution amendment bill, and preparations for Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s India visit beginning tomorrow have been most prioritised.
Important
Nepal, India to sign seven to nine agreements during Deuba’s Delhi trip
The Cabinet meeting on Monday endorsed agendas of PM Deuba’s five day India visit and most newspapers have covered it in the front page.
The Kathmandu Post says Nepal and India are likely to sign seven to nine memorandums of understanding during the PM’s state visit. Quoting officials involved in preparations of the visit, the report informs that both sides have finalised texts of seven MoUs as of Monday evening.
The report says, “Four MoUs on Indian grant portion of reconstruction aid pledged during the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction in 2015 are set to be signed during the visit.” Likewise, two other MoUs are related to an agreement between Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology and Indian Bureau of Standardisation whereas the last one is about the construction of a motorable bridge over Mechi River in Bhadrapur of Jhapa.
Meanwhile, Annapurna Post says efforts are also underway to reach an agreement on much-hyped Pancheshwor Multipurpose Project.
IoM says it was not involved in Kathmandu National Medical College affiliation
The controversy about Tribhuvan University Executive Council’s decision to grant affiliation to Ghattekulo-based Kathmandu National Medical College does not seem to end anytime soon as the University’s Institute of Medicine says it was not involved in the decision making process.
Nagarik anchor story says IoM Dean Jagadish Prasad Agrawal has told the newspaper that the Executive Council made the final decision while the IoM was discussing a report of a feasibility study about granting affiliation to the college. He further clarifies that the IoM Faculty Board has not made any decision about the issue.
Meanwhile, Naya Patrika‘s lead story for the day has blamed TU Vice-Chancellor Tirtha Khaniya claiming he disrespected TU Chancellor and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who has been saying that he is sensitive enough about demands of Dr Govinda KC for reforms in Nepal’s medical education sector.
The newspaper has also published a short interview with Education Secretary Shanta Bahadur Shrestha who has said he was also shocked by the TU’s controversial decision.
Kantipur, on the other hand, says the report prepared by the team led by Dr Karbir Nath Yogi about facilities of the College contains many false details.
Ignored
New government rule troubles Nepali workers in South Korea
The Nepal government has decently decided that it will not issue labour permits to migrant workers again if they fail to send remittance via formal banking channels. However, many Nepalis working in South Korea are finding it difficult to find appropriate channels to meet the government requirement, Karobar‘s lead story filed from Seoul reads.
The reports quotes a Nepali Kashiram Aryal, who works in a village around 400 kilometres away from the capital Seoul, “How can we send the remittance without an easy availability of banking channels? We do not get leaves on the days we want. They provide us leaves only on Saturday and Sundays and how can we send the money on public holidays?”
Most of Nepali workers in Korea are working in rural areas and they need hours or even days to access a bank, the report says, adding those working in the agricultural sector get leave for one to two days every month.
Integrated settlement plan approved without fixing criteria
The National Reconstruction Authority, an apex government body to spearhead and supervise post-earthquake reconstruction works across the country had approved development of integrated settlements in three most quake-hit districts, reports Abhiyan.
Though the Authority recently approved development of such settlements in Sindhupalchok, Dolakha and Gorkha districts, criteria for this project are yet to be developed.
The Authority has just formed a sub-panel to draft criteria for the settlement headed by Authority’s Executive Committee member Dhruba Prasad Sharma and consisting of joint-secretaries Prakash Thapa and Krishna Dawadi, Ministry of Urban Development’s representative and Authority’s Chief Survey Officer Kamal Ghimire.
The panel has been given 15 days to draft the criteria.
Interesting
Lawmakers share tales of cheating cabs
Lawmakers speaking at a meeting of Development Committee in Parliament on Monday shared how they have been cheated by taxis in Kathmandu.
Lawmaker Ram Ayodhi Prasad Yadav said he was asked Rs 900 for travelling from the Tribhuvan International Airport to Milanchok of Naya Baneshwor when he pretended that he was from India. Only after he spoke in Nepali with the cabbie and identified himself as a member of Parliament, the driver apologised and said Rs 300 would work, Annapurna Post anchor story reports.
Likewise, lawmaker Tulasa Rana Magar said she could not hire a taxi to go to Shantinagar from Anamnagar. She warned that she would file a report with traffic police, but also the cabbie did not agree to serve her.
“Even people like us are helpless in front of cabbies,” Magar said, “What would be the condition of general public?”
After listening to similar interesting stories, the House committee directed concerned government authorities to take various measures to improve taxi services across the country.
