Almost all broadsheets (both in Nepali and English) have given prominence to reports on the protests by the Federal Alliance ( a group of ‘pro-identity’ political parties, including the Madheshi Morcha). Envoy Deep Kumar Upadhyaya’s challenge to the government to prove allegations that he was involved in conspiracy to topple the government has also received considerable attention.

Important

Federal Alliance pickets Singha Durbar

Naya Patrika, Nepal Samacharpatra, Rajdhani, Annapurna Post, The Himalayan Times and Republica have given prominent space to reports on the protest. Nagarik, however, only has a photo from the protest on its front page.

Annapurna Post in its three-column story with a double-decker headline says Maoist chairman Prachanda has directed his party cadres not to participate in the ongoing capital-centric agitation of the Madheshi parties. Rajdhani, quoting an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs, says the government is concerned that armed outfits in the Terai might use the protests to trigger violence in the capital. In its box story for the day, the paper says the Alliance’s protest on Sunday threw life out of gear in Kathmandu.

Nepal Samacahrpatra, in its lead story with a screaming headline, says the protests took more toll on the general public than on the government, at whom they were directed.

Naya Patrika, has a photo of three foreigners participating in the sit-in. The report says that the rivalry between Sadbhawana’s Rajendra Mahato and Forum-Nepal’s Upendra Yadav was quite visible during the protest. It says that while Yadav and his party sympathisers stayed on one side of Singha Durbar, Mahato and other Madheshi leaders manned the other side. The paper says the two sides did not co-ordinate with one another.

The Himalayan Times quotes a Madheshi leader as saying said the Alliance would continue to picket outside Singha Durbar till their demands were met.

Envoy Upadhyaya challenges government to prove allegations

Nepal Samacharpatra and Rajdhani have given prominent space to former ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyaya’s challenge to the government to prove allegations levelled against him. 

13th Periodic Plan misses most targets

Republica, Nagarik and Karobar have given prominent space to a review of the 13th periodic plan, which is to conclude this fiscal year. Republica, in its anchor for the day, says lack of a coherent framework while preparing an approach paper for the plan and persistence of political instability and policy inconsistency coupled with unprecedented natural shocks and a massive erosion of implementation capacity have resulted in the 13th periodic plan failing measurably and missing most of its targets.

It says, “The 13 periodic plan had a target of preparing the base for the country’s graduation to developing country status by 2022 from the current status of Least Developed Country (LDC). In preparing the base for the graduation, the plan targetted achieving 6 per cent economic growth on average in the three-year plan period. However, the government has failed to achieve the growth target as the average economic growth rate plunged to 2.92 percent.

Ignored

Law against black-marketeering to be amended

Nagarik in its lead story for the day says the government is preparing to amend the law against black marketeering. The paper claims that the government is planning to slash punishment for those convicted in black-marketeering cases. It says that convicts, who are being handed down 10 years in prison, are going to get just a year of imprisonment if the proposed changes are made.

Interesting  

Govt likely to allocate Rs 5 billion for Kathmandu-Terai Fast-track

Karobar, in its report says the government is planning to allocate Rs 5 billion for the Kathmandu-Terai Fast-track project for the next fiscal year. The news comes a few days after the government said it would construct the ‘national-pride’ project on its own.

Gold import down to naught in March

Karobar, in its report says the amount of gold being imported to Nepal has been dwindling for the last few months. The report, quoting government figures, says not a single kilo of gold was imported to Nepal during the month of Chitra (March/April). The report quotes an official as saying that importers may have resorted to smuggling to get their hands on cheaper gold.