Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (September 3, 2019).
As discontent grows, ruling party plans a show of strength
The ruling Nepal Communist Party last week issued an intra-party directive, asking the party rank and file to be prepared for a special nationwide campaign of mass gatherings in different parts of the country. Though party leaders say that the national campaign is aimed at sending the message of party unity, they privately admit that the mass meetings are being planned in the wake of the people’s growing discontent.
In the months since it came to power, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) government has faced backlash for a number of its actions that many say are aimed at curtailing civil liberties, freedom of speech and media freedom, as well as its failure to deliver on various fronts.
Gokarna Bista: Foreign employment is not our main agenda, job creation inside the country is
A herculean task of creating new jobs and reversing an exodus of migrant workers confronts the incumbent Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Gokarna Bista, who since his appointment has promised that not a single Nepali will have to take up foreign employment due to lack of jobs in the country within the next five years. But the ministry under his leadership has been pursuing new labour destination countries instead, and signing new agreements or reviewing existing pacts.
The Post’s Chandan Kumar Mandal spoke with Bista to talk about policies to create new jobs, how he would manage the foreign employment sector, his plans to ultimately stop compulsion-driven labour migration, the government’s initiatives so far and the controversies surrounding them, including the much-touted Prime Minister Employment Programme, which has drawn mixed reactions.
Bajhang's chief district officer, a voice of sustainable development, abruptly transferred to Morang
Despite making headlines for all the good reasons—whether it be standing up against haphazard development or initiating dialogue among Bajhang residents on adopting sustainable development measures—the chief district officer of Bajhang, Suresh Sunar, has been transferred from the district.
To make the transfer possible, the past month saw delegations from the people’s representatives, lawmakers, former lawmakers, former ministers and party leaders in Bajhang visit the Ministry of Home Affairs in Kathmandu demanding the immediate transfer of Sunar. Sunar’s stringent stand against the haphazard use of heavy equipment and bulldozers on road projects without conducting feasibility studies had not gone down well with them.
Migrant workers now require bank accounts to receive work permits
The government has introduced a new policy which makes it mandatory for migrant workers to have a bank account at home if they want to leave for work abroad. With the rule coming into force on Monday, all foreign-bound workers need to submit details of their bank accounts to receive the labour permit from the Department of Foreign Employment.
According to Bhisma Kumar Bhushal, director general at the department, the decision has been taken to formalise all financial transactions carried out by migrant workers.
9.6°C Kathmandu
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