EXTENSIVE FRONT PAGE COVERAGE OF DARJEELING BRDGE COLLAPSE THAT KILLED 32 SUNDAYD

DARJEELING SUSPENSION BRIDGE SNAP GETS PROMINENT
COVERAGE IN NEPALI NEWSPAPERS

Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: Nepali daily newspapers Monday
morning gave front page coverage to Sunday’s collapse of a
suspension bridge that killed at least 32 persons in neibhbouring
Darjeeling in West Bengal across the Ilam in the east.
“Darjeeling Bridge Snap Kills 32 Nepal—speaking people”, read a
headline in Kantipur.
’32 Dead In Darjeeling Bridge Collapse, a
headline in The Kathmandu Post said.
Another headline in Republica said : 32 Killed in suspension bridge snap in Darjeeling.
Darjeeling Suspension Bridge Collapse Kills 32, another headline in Nagarik reads.
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NATION-WIDE BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP 13 DECEMBER

Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: Third open nation-wide open boxing tournament will be conducted at the International Sports Complex, Satdobato, Lalitpur
13 to 17 December by Lalitpur District Boxing Association.
The tournament was originally scheduled for 5 December.
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MIXED REACTION TO BIPPA
Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: While the response of political parties seem to be mixed, the private sector has welcomed the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA)between Nepal and India, The Himalayan Times reports.

Some of the most scathing criticism has come from Bhattarai’s own party. UCPN-M leader Dev Gurung charged that Bhattarai had misled parliament. “He did not utter a single word about BIPPA at the party meeting on his India visit,” he said, adding that the party would take action.

He said a country in transition could not afford the cost of compensation and the economy would collapse. Some measures mentioned in the agreement are beyond government control, he said, adding that BIPPA would not give equal treatment to investment from other countries.

Other vehement BIPPA critics are former PM and CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, former PM Madhav Kumar Nepal and senior leader K P Oli, who say Bhattarai compromised national interest by signing the agreement.

However, the private sector has welcomed BIPPA hoping the country will benefit. “I see no wrong in the agreement,” said president of Nepal Chamber of Commerce Suresh Kumar Basnet. “Political parties should not oppose BIPPA, if they want to attract Indian investment,” he said, adding that the agreement will build confidence of Indian investors. “The agreement will make the government proactive and help solve problems,” he said.
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GOVT. TEXTBOOK BID TO HURT JEMC


Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: The Education Ministry’s move to issue permits to private companies to publish school textbooks in two more regions, has been criticised for not providing a level-playing field for the state-owned publisher and compromising the quality of Books, Rudra Pangeni reports in the Himalayan Times..

The ministry’s proposal to allow private publishers publish textbooks in the Central and Far-Western Development Region from next academic year will deal a ‘severe blow’ to Janak Educational Material Centre, which has had to compete with private presses and distributors in all regions except in the mid-west, say experts.

“We cannot compete with private companies as they get the books printed in India and import them paying one per cent duty. We pay 14 per cent duty just to import printing paper,” said JEMC General Manager Ram Chandra Silwal.

The state-owned centre, which has accumulated a loss amounting to Rs 320 million, has more than 1,200 staff on its payroll.

The government is going to provide new permits to private companies, despite the fact that books printed by them have proven to be substandard, said a former official.

This year, books printed by private publishers in the eastern and western regions were reported to be below standard, say JEMC sources. The private firms were also unable to get the books to remote areas.

Ministry officials attribute the decision to top officials being unduly influenced by private companies.

Former secretary at the ministry, Jaya Ram Giri, said the state should not relinquish its duty of supplying reading materials.

“Students could not get hold of quality books as private firms adopt corner-cutting methods,” added Giri.

Department of Education director Mahashram Sharma said the decision is as per government’s policy of promoting open competition
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