Some of the big stories from today's The Kathmandu Post.

Baskota resigns following leaked audiotape where he is heard negotiating a ‘commission’

Gokul Baskota, the minister for communication and information technology, has resigned following the release of an audio recording of him allegedly negotiating a Rs700 million “commission” with the local agent for a Swiss company, initially published by the online portal hamrakura.com.

In the two-and-a-half-minute audio recording, a voice purportedly belonging to Baskota can be heard negotiating with Bijaya Prakash Sharma Mishra, the local agent for a Swiss company vying for a government contract regarding the security printing of passports and other sensitive material.

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Public Accounts Committee puts a halt to the security printing project

The much-hyped security printing press has hit a roadblock, as the Parliamentary Accounts Committee on Thursday directed the government not to proceed with the plan.

After discussing the plan with officials at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, committee members said they were not satisfied with the replies furnished by the officials.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Baskota was not present at the meeting. Baskota resigned as minister on Thursday afternoon after an audio recording was leaked in which he is heard negotiating a Rs700 million “commission” with the local agent of a Swiss company with regards to setting up the security printing press.

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Fresh off the Mahara and Poudel affairs, yet another scandal engulfs the ruling party

The KP Sharma Oli administration, which has been reeling from a series of scandals involving high-profile officials, faced yet another setback on Thursday after a sitting minister was caught on audiotape negotiating a “commission” for the planned security printing press.

After facing down accusations of attempting to protect one of its senior leaders in the Baluwatar land grab and the acquittal of another senior leader on charges of attempted rape, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) now must deal with corruption allegations against Gokul Baskota, the minister for communication and information technology and a close confidante of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

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Hatcheries and feed factories agree to lower their prices from Sunday

Hatcheries and feed factories have agreed to lower prices from Sunday after the Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection Management convinced them that the prices had been hiked steeply, and that they must come down during a meeting held at the department's office on Wednesday.

President of the Nepal Hatchery Association Tikaram Pokhrel said that the organisation has no hand in fixing the prices, and it is the hatchery owners who do so.

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