National
ICYMI: Here are our top stories from Monday, May 13
Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 13, 2019).Post Report
Here are some of the top stories from The Kathmandu Post (May 13, 2019).
Fed up with low wages and ill-treatment, Nepali tea plantation workers say enough is enough
Since April 1, tea plantation workers across eastern Nepal have gone on strike, shutting down estates to demand their employers implement the minimum daily wage and provide other benefits including social security and medical insurance guaranteed under the 2017 Labour Act. Although the law came into effect last July, almost all the workers say they have not seen an increase in their pay.
With the strike now entering its seventh week and with no signs of a possible resolution between parties, workers are beginning to get anxious. Many have run out of the little savings they had. Some of them have taken out loans to feed themselves, others are foraging for food in the forests.
Three journalists are under investigation over publishing news about the Dalai Lama
Three journalists at the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, Nepal’s national news agency, are being probed for disseminating a news item regarding the Dalai Lama.
RSS journalists working at the English desk of the news agency—Mohani Risal, Somnath Lamichhanne and Jivan Bhandari—face the probe for translating and disseminating a wire report about the Dalai Lama being discharged from a hospital in New Delhi and his return to Dharamshala on April 27 after treatment.
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Baskota confirmed to the Post that the investigation was initiated at his orders.
Government stops reimbursing health facilities for providing free services to ‘disadvantaged citizen’
Health facilities in the last six months have not received reimbursement from the Ministry of Health and Population for providing care to ‘disadvantaged citizens’.
In the absence of reimbursement, health facilities across the country have warned that they would be compelled to stop providing health services to patients who visit these facilities.
If the health facilities take this step, hundreds of patients suffering from renal problems, cardiovascular disease, cancer, parkinson’s, alzheimer’s, spinal injury, head injury and sickle cell anemia will be affected.
The government has committed to providing free dialysis service to patients suffering from renal failure and offers Rs400,000 each to patients opting for a kidney transplant. Patients suffering from cardiovascular disease, cancer, parkinson’s, alzheimer's, spinal injury, head injury and sickle cell anemia can receive free treatment of upto Rs100,000 each from health facilities, as per the agreement signed with the Health Ministry.
Dozens of government as well as private health facilities have signed the agreement with the ministry and have been providing services accordingly.
Gautam Buddha airport contractor stops work after not getting paid
The contractor for Gautam Buddha International Airport being built in Bhairahawa has stopped work complaining that it has not been paid. The stoppage has dealt another blow to the national pride project which has been facing endless delays since construction started in 2013.
An anonymous source at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, the project executing agency, told the Post that the Tourism Ministry ‘intentionally’ delayed forwarding paperwork to the Finance Ministry to release payment of around Rs200 million to the contractor Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group. The Chinese company has been complaining about the delayed payment for the last two weeks, he said.