Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday have given the top priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and economic affairs. The formation of constitutional bench in the Supreme Court and the publication of a report on mobile phone service quality by Nepal Telecommunications Authority have received significant attention on the front pages of major newspapers. Likewise, Annapurna Post has published a follow-up story on alleged irregularities of Nepal Airlines Corporation in the purchase of two wide body aircraft. Nagarik and Republica have discussed why some provinces are still struggling to finalise their names and capitals.
Important
Constitutional bench comes into function finally
Nepal Samacharpatra and Kantipur report that Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra has finally formed a constitutional bench in the apex court, around three and half months after he joined office. Mishra has assigned justices Deepak Raj Joshee, Cholendra Shamsher Rana, Deepak Kumar Karki and Kedar Prasad Chalise besides him in the bench.
Total 229 cases are awaiting consideration in the bench, according to Nepal Samacharpatra.
Meanwhile, Abhiyan reports in a brief story that the bench began hearing if a CIAA commissioner can delegate his/her authority to the Commission Secretary while retiring.
Nepal assures EPG report implementation
While there are reports that Indian government is reluctant to receive the report of Eminent Persons’ Group on Nepal-India Relations as it is, Nepal has expressed its hope that the report will be implemented.
Gorkhapatra reports that Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told journalists in Kathmandu yesterday that the report submission was delayed only because Indian PM Narendra Modi was busy.
The Kathmandu Post lead story, however, still claims that Modi is reluctant to receive the report.
Meanwhile, Minister Gyawali also demanded that Bhutan repatriate its citizens currently residing in Nepal as refugees, Nepal Samacharpatra reports in a brief story.
All mobile phone services in the country are ‘poor’
Kantipur and Nagarik report on their front pages that the Nepal Telecommunications Authority has concluded that mobile phone services provided by Nepal Telecom, Ncell and Smart Telecom are poorer than the set standard.
The regulatory body had conducted 15 day study in Kathmandu Valley recently to prepare the report.
The Authority has also warned of action if the companies do not improve their services.
Ignored
1.8 million households still in darkness
The country’s electricity regulatory body says around 1.8 million households, which is around 23 per cent of total households in the country, are still deprived of electricity facility. Therefore, Nepal Electricity Authority has launched a mission to let every family have the access to power within next two years, Karobar reports in a two column story.
The cost of the mission is estimated at Rs 100 billion.
Commission to check universities’ affiliation
Following reports of misuse of university affiliations, the University Grant Commission is preparing to impose a restriction on the universities’ right to grant affiliation to colleges for some specific period, reports Nepal Samacharpatra.
A task force led by the Commission’s Member Secretary Dev Raj Adhikari is carrying out a research to ensure that all affiliations are scientific and transparent, the report adds.
Another custodial death reported
A 48-year-old man from Tarakeshwor Municipality of Kathmandu recently died in a police custody and it has raised concerns about the arrestees’ human rights under the control of police, reports The Himalayan Times in a four column box story.
Rabindra Kumar Dhungana’s death has raised questions after Assistant Sub—Inspector Surendra Karki, who accompanied the police team to arrest him, allegedly paid Rs 2.7 million to the deceased’s family apparently to hide his role in the case, police say.
Nepal Police, however, has been officially claiming that he died due to some medical conditions.
Interesting
Dharahara reconstruction finally begins
The government has begun constructing a new 11-storey tower beside Dharahara, which was destroyed by the 2015 earthquake, so as to replace the historic monument, Naya Patrika reports in a brief story.
The new tower’s height will be 69.2 metres, which is equal to the height to the collapsed monument, the report says.
The National Reconstruction Authority hopes that the construction works will be over in next two months.
