Different issues, ideas and events have been highlighted on the front pages of major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday. Many newspapers have given the top priority to the hours-long traffic jam along the Prthivi Highway in Kathmandu and Dhading districts due to maintenance works. The issue has been more crucial as a patient an ambulance was ferrying to Kathmandu died on the way during the traffic congestion yesterday.
Meanwhile, parliamentary committees have expedited their activities though the Federal Parliament meeting has currently been prorogued. Newspapers have highlighted meetings of State Affairs Committee with officials of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and the Election Commission in particular.
Some other issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres have been featured on the broadsheet front pages today.
Important
CIAA launches probe into NAC wide body purchase
New chief at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Navin Kumar Ghimire, has informed the State Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives that the anti-corruption constitutional watchdog has launched an investigation into suspected irregularities in the purchase of two wide body aircraft by the Nepal Airlines Corporation, according to a brief story in Annapurna Post.
Meanwhile, members of the parliamentary panel have demanded that the Commission prepare a plan of action to improve its performance, Rajdhani reports in a three column story.
Patient dies as ambulance gets stuck
A patient who was being ferried to Kathmandu for treatment has died on an ambulance as a nine-hour traffic jam obstructed the vehicle’s way along the Prithvi Highway in Dhading district on Wednesday, according to reports in Rajdhani, Nagarik, Annapurna Post and Republica.
Rajani Chaudhary, a 55-year-old woman from Sauraha of Chitwan district, was being taken to Kathmandu, as the maintenance works along Naubise-Nagdhunga road obstructed the way, according to reports.
Registration of two-wheelers halted in Kathmandu
Karobar, Abhiyan and The Himalayan Times report that the Department of Transport Management has halted the registration of two-wheelers (motorcycles and scooters) in the Bagmati zone, which also includes Kathmandu Valley) as existing laws do not have the provision of issuing registration number in three-digit lot, but the two-digit lot (up to 99) has already been exhausted.
Meanwhile, prospective buyers are losing on festive discounts offered by the sellers whereas the traders are also losing their customers due to the decision, according to The Himalayan Times.
Ignored
Chinese firm bags Tamor contract
Karobar reports in its lead story that the government has decided to assign a Chinese company for the construction of 762-megawatt Tamor Chisang Hydropower Project without calling applications for the free competition.
The Ministry of Energy has launched procedures to award the licence to Sichuan NHE Hydraulic and Hydroelectric Engineering Company Limited as the firm filed an application some months ago, according to the report.
New rule promotes pork barrel spending
The government has introduced a regulation that allows members of the Federal Parliament to select and make expenses on maximum 20 development projects in their constituencies, Kantipur reports in its lead story for the day.
The regulation contradicts the a provision of this year’s annual budget statement that mentions the lawmakers can make expenses for five projects only, upto Rs 40 million.
Interesting
Nepalis buy Chinese passport for better job in Egypt
A snippet in Annapurna Post reports that five Nepali nationals have been found to have bought Chinese passports in order to land lucrative jobs in Egypt.
The suspects were arrested by police in Turkey after finding that they were made to buy Chinese passports by a Chinese agent. The agent had assured them that he would find attractive jobs for them.
