National
ICYMI: Here are our top stories from Monday, May 6
Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 5, 2019).Post Report
Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 5, 2019).
First bird flu death raises concerns, but government response is too slow
In a hurriedly called press conference on May 2, the Ministry of Health and Population announced that a person had died from bird flu, the first human casualty in Nepal by H5N1 virus. The 21-year-old had died on March 29, according to the ministry.
It was the first H5N1 human infection in the world since February 2017 and there were immediate concerns whether the virus was making a resurge. But the authorities concerned, it seems, are still too slow to recognise. Nor is there any preparedness to control further infection.
Low vaccine coverage rate, floating population leading to repeat measles outbreaks
Kapilvastu witnesses measles outbreak every year. But the health authority is struggling to stop the outbreaks in the absence of immunisation programme supervisor and other officers.
The Ministry of Health and Population is yet to send an immunisation supervisor to the Province 5 Health Office in Kapilvastu to replace the previous supervisor who was transferred two years ago.
The immunisation programme has been affected in the absence of supervising officer.
Government plans to create 500,000 jobs in a year. Experts say it’s a daunting task.
The government said in its policies and programmes unveiled on Friday that half a million jobs would be created from the next fiscal year to absorb the country’s workforce, which is spread to more than 100 countries.
But experts say it is a daunting task unless the government comes up with clear policies and plans and sets up mechanisms to track new jobs.
According to the government, these new employment opportunities will be created in infrastructure development, industrial and service sectors. To meet the target of half a million jobs, the government is counting on Prime Minister Employment Programme, an ambitious scheme that will ensure minimum 100 days of work to unemployed people, as well as the private and public sectors.
Only 10 percent of Poor ID cards distributed in seven years
A government plan to issue identity cards to the poor people has been moving at a slow pace as only 10 percent of the ID cards have been distributed in the last seven years.
Forwarding its ambitious plan to relieve the poor by providing them with number of benefits, the government in September 2012 launched the survey in 26 districts. Cardholders were supposed to receive discounts on education, health facilities, transportation and foodstuffs, among others. The government had spent Rs600 million for the survey and data processing work.
According to the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, only 38,304 poor households out of the identified 391,831 poor households have received the ID cards as of now. Of the surveyed districts, the government has distributed the cards to 4,494 out of 4,560 households in Humla district, the largest of all.