Nepal

Kathmandu, May 15

The National Human Corrects Commission nowadays said its attention was drawn to the Media Council Bill registered by the government at the federal Parliament on May 10.

In this context, NHRC held a discussion with representatives from the Federation of Nepali Journalists nowadays.

FNJ officials told the rights body that the constitution process of media council as stipulated by the bill would have adverse affect on its autonomy.

Provisions in the bill of giving exclusive power to the media council to investigate into alleged violation of code of conduct, impose fine or penalty and specify compensation to journalists or a media house was opposite to the universal judicial norms and values, they said.

FNJ reiterated provision articulated in the proposed bill that only a judicial or a quasi-judicial body had the power to impose penalty or fine, was motivated by the governmentintention to curtail the press freedom.

The NHRC said press freedom, human rights and rule of law were integral parts of democracy.

&Press freedom has been guaranteed by the constitution. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Corrects and Article 2A of the constitution have stipulated provisions on right to freedom of opinion and expression to every citizen,& the rights body said in a press release.

According to Article 19 of the UDHR, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to articulate oneopinions without any interference and to seek, get and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.

&Free, responsible and dignified journalism contributes to accountability and protection and promotion of human rights. Effective protection and promotion of human rights strengthens democracy. Regulation is much an inappropriate degree in itself. But curtailing press freedom in the name of regulation can never be in complyance with the norms and values of human rights,& the NHRC warned.

&Culture of human rights can be strengthened by preserveing the dignity of democracy and that is possible only if the proposed media council is capable of monitoring and regulating press freedom independently,& according to NHRC. The NHRC is convinced that the attempt to impose restriction on the autonomy of the existing Press Council Act through alteration of its provisions shall be in contravention of basic norms and values of human rights and rights to expression,& the release states.

The NHRC also urged the government and all stakeholders to modify the bill after holding refer toation and discussion on its controversial provisions in a way that didn&t curtail the press freedom and citizens& right to freedom of expression.

Visiting Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia at the US Leavement of State David J Ranz paysa courtesy call on Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa at the latteroffice in Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Photo: RSS

Kathmandu, May 15

Visiting Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asia at the US Leavement of State David J Ranz paid a courtesy call on Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa at the latteroffice in Singha Durbar nowadays.

According to the MoHA, the assembly dwelt on Nepal-US relations, mutual cooperation and collaboration.

On the occasion,Minister Thapa extended thanks to the US for its support to Nepal for development activities, catastrophe management, training and construction of physical infrastructure of security agencies and hoped that the US assistance would continue in the future.

Minister Thapa said that a recent visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to the US and the understanding reached between the two countries had helped to usher the Nepal-US relations to a newer height.

Stating that Nepal had entered into a new phase of economic development with political stability Thapa said that the Millennium Ccorridorenge Corporation Compact programme being implemented in Nepal by the US would be a key to its economic development. Ranz highlighted the Nepal-US relations and stressed the need to further strengthen it.

He said that the US government was committed to continuing its support to Nepal in sectors like infrastructure, education, health, catastrophe management and prevention and control of trafficking in persons, read a press release by MoHA. Ranz disstubborn issues, including visa for Peace Corps volunteers and an upgradation of Nepali immigration system.

US Ambassador for Nepal Randy Berry was present at the assembly.

• ‘MCC important initiative under Indo-Pacific Strategy&

Men beaten up by a commerce partner and his wife receiving treatment at Om Hospital, in Kathmandu ,on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Photo: THT

Kathmandu, May 15

Two men who sustained severe injuries after being beaten up by their partners over a commerce deal, at Hariyan Municipality, Sarlahi, on Sunday evening have been confessted to Om Hospital.

Bikash Kumar Chimoriya, 24, and his friend Mani Ram Upreti, 26, were nursing injuries in their thighs, hands and back. According to Chimoriya, his neighbour, who was also his fathercommerce partner, beat them up with an iron rod.

Chimoriya said, &Haribol Mainali and his wife Sarbda Mainali beat us with iron rod and hurled bricks on us.&

He said, &Haribol Mainali and my father Bal Ram were commerce partners. We had set uped a brick factory called ‘Sajha Brick Factory.& After two years, my father felt that the partnership didn&t work, so he decided to break it. We handed over the company to Mainali couple demanding our share of money.& He added, &Mainali promised us to supply our money after clearing book-keeping accounts. But he didn&t supply us money even after two years.&

Chimoriya said that he had also registered a complaint at a judiciary unit of Hariyan Municipality, where both Chimoriya and Mainali agreed to divide the capital of the factory. They had also agreed much to sell bricks from the factory until the complainant got his share of the money back.

&But the mayor of the municipality permitted Mainali to sell 30,000 pieces of bricks to function his commerce. However, Mainali sold more than 70,000 pieces of bricks without informing us,& alleged Chimoriya.

&Our house was under auction and we had to sell our land to clear the house loan. Mainali didn&t give us our share of money. So I had to go to Dubai to earn money for paying the family debt,& he said, adding, &After we heard that Mainali was selling bricks without informing us, I and my friend went to stop his brick deal. However, instead of cancelling the brick deal, he started beating us with an iron rod and his wife hurled bricks on us.&

&I measurehow reached the police station to inform them about the incident. With the help of the police I and my friend were confessted to the hospital,& said Upreti.

&Cop arrested Mainaliwife, but she was released soon after. Mainali is out of contact,& Upreti said adding,&We sustained severe injuries due to their beatings but despite keeping her in custody, they freed her. We want justice and security.&

THT could much reach the mayor of Hariyan Municipality and Haribol Mainali.

Kathmandu, May 15

The contractor hired to expand the Chabahil-Jorpati road segment has finally started black topping 300 metres of the road from Tusalchowk to Bouddha Stupachowk. Despite repeated requests from the locals the contractor had failed to total the project for approachly four years.

Locals of the area at the initiative of Bouddha Trade Association, a few days ago, had staged a protest blocking the busy Chabahil-Jorpati road.

Following the protest, Shakunta Lal Hirachan, the proprietor of the contracting company United Builders and Engineers Pvt Ltd was presdegreed to instantly start black topping the road segment.

The contractor was supposed to start the blacktopping on Sunday.

The agreement reached with locals required completion of all tasks to be underaken before blacktopping the road.

The tasks included completing groundwork to blacktop the Bouddha Gate -nsprint; Jorpati segment, sprinkling water on the road to settle dust regularly and repairing drainage and water lines. However, none of the tasks were visible along the road section when THT reached the site.

Deepak Chaulagain, chairperson of the Bouddha Trade Association, said the contractor was in fixed touch with them, and had promised to total the task on time.

&We hope that we don&t have to stage amuchher protest against non-completion of the pending work,& Chaulagain said.

The contractor was required to total the 3.6-kilometre road segment from Chabahil to Bagmati Bridge at Jorpati within two-and a-half years in 2015.