Deuba Has Struggled to Form the Cabinet. He Lacks Team of Advisers
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WI THOUT F EAR O R F A V O U R Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 177 | 10 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 33.0 C 15.5 C Saturday, August 14, 2021 | 30-04-2078 Dharan Jomsom Deuba has struggled to form the Cabinet. He lacks team of advisers as well In the absence of ministers, role of persons with expertise can be crucial in governance, but Congress leaders say the prime minister is waiting to give government full shape. ANIL GIRI they provide the prime minister with KATHMANDU, AUG 13 second opinions on crucial issues. When there is a clash of opinions Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba between ministers and the prime min- has his plate full: from addressing the ister, discussions at Cabinet meetings demands of his coalition partners who resolve issues. have their own interests to managing It was Girija Prasad Koirala, who factions within his own Nepali was elected prime minister after the Congress, which is struggling to hold restoration of the multi-party system its general convention; from reviving a in 1990 following the end of the pandemic-hit economy to steering a 30-year-long partyless Panchayat sys- directionless foreign policy. Then he tem, who started the tradition of hav- has to have one eye on the general elec- ing a group of advisers. tions due less than 18 months away. In 1991, he had appointed Krishna Even one month after assuming Khanal, a professor of political sci- office, he has not been able to give the ence at Tribhuvan University, as his full shape to his government. political adviser, Jay Prakash Gupta, a At such a time, a group of advisers journalist, as press adviser, Ramesh well-versed on specific fields of exper- Jang Thapa, a retired defence secre- tise could be helpful. But Deuba tary, as security adviser and Dirgha doesn’t have one yet. Raj Koirala, a former secretary, as his POST PHOTO: KESHAV THAPA “On several technical issues administrative adviser. Workers prepare to paint lane markings on the Maitighar-New Baneshwor road during the morning rush hour in Kathmandu on Friday. like the press, foreign affairs, Appointing a team of advisers is security and the economy, the mostly a Western style of governance prime minister needs regular to make governing and other deci- advice, feedback and consulta- sion-making processes more consulta- tions,” said Umesh Mainali, for- tive whereby heads of state and gov- mer home secretary and former ernment can get the right advice on INSIDE Telemedicine to the rescue chairman of the Public Service crucial issues related to state affairs. Commission, stressing the need Since the early 1990s, Nepal’s prime for advisers. ministers have continued the tradi- Women still face witchcraft of some migrant workers Although there are ministries tion of appointing advisers and their dedicated to run the country, picks are watched with great interest. charges in Sunsari advisers are important because >> Continued on page 2 ITAHARI: On August 1, a 50-year-old Nepalis abroad face a tough time when they contract the woman was assaulted by three other women who accused her of practising virus, but some organisations have come forward to help. witchcraft. The woman, who asked her identity to be withheld for priva- cy reasons, said the incident occurred at around 5 pm while she was cooking dinner at her home in Ramdhuni Municipality, Sunsari. “Three women whom I’m distantly related to entered the kitchen, pulled me by my hair and dragged me to a temple,” said the victim. The temple is around one and a half kilometres from her house. “Nobody tried to stop them. The whole village just stood by while the women brutally beat me, accusing me of being a witch.” The group of women accused her of using black magic to make people fall ill. According to the victim, there was no one in the house when the incident occurred. (Details on Pg 2) Experts warn of oversized governments in provinces after Post FILE photo shift in political dynamics The pandemic brought a series of ordeals to Nepalis working in foreign labour destinations. KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel on ARJUN POUDEL migrant workers cannot contact the June 13 formed a coalition govern- KATHMANDU, AUG 13 right place for medical help, and get- ment in Gandaki Province replacing ting help is not always easy.” CPN-UML’s Prithvi Subba Gurung. Last week, when the health condition It is estimated that nearly 3 million Gurung resigned after his party fell of a Nepali migrant worker in Tokyo Nepalis are working abroad, a majori- into minority when the assembly deteriorated due to Covid-19, he ty of them based in the Persian Gulf members from the CPN (Maoist sought treatment at a nearby hospital. countries, Malaysia and South Korea. Centre), Rastriya Janamorcha and an The 41-year-old man from Tanahun Last month, a Nepali migrant work- independent member withdrew their district in Nepal had tested positive er in Saudi Arabia, who is in his late support to the provincial govern- nine days before. Doctors at the hospi- 30s, became seriously ill after being ment. As the UML is the largest party tal, however, suggested that he stay in infected with the coronavirus. His in Gandaki with 27 seats, Pokharel home isolation, as the facility was room-mates were transferred to quar- needed the support of all the remain- packed with Covid-19 patients. antine facilities, and he was asked to ing parties including the independent He, however, managed to get in stay in isolation in his room. lawmaker to secure a majority. In touch with Danphe Care, an organisa- “Due to the language problem, the return for support, Pokharel had to tion that runs telemedicine service man was unable to seek medical care. induct ministers from all the parties, from Nepal, according to an associate His health condition was deteriorat- except for Rastriya Janamorcha, with Danphe. ing fast,” said Maleku of Danphe which raised the number of members “When the man contacted us, his Care. “When he came into our contact, in his Cabinet to 11. Gurung had health condition appeared to be in a we helped him get admitted to the hos- seven ministers in his Cabinet for critical state. His oxygen level was low pital. He recovered well.” three and a half years. (Details on Pg 3) and he was suffering from pneumo- The Covid-19 pandemic brought a nia,” Kabin Maleku, programme head series of ordeals to Nepali migrants at Danphe, told the Post. “With the working in various labour destina- Monetary policy prioritises help of the health committee of the tions. As Covid-19 cases started erupt- relief and recovery Non-resident Nepali Association in ing in those countries, Nepali workers Japan, we managed to arrange for the first feared for their safety before suf- KATHMANDU: The monetary policy man’s hospitalisation.” fering job losses, pay cuts, arbitrary 2021-22 presented by the Nepal Rastra The patient was immediately taken breach of contracts and even return- Bank on Friday has sought to help to the intensive care unit, according to ing home empty-handed, often with enterprises and individuals hit hard the organisation. massive loans. by the Covid-19 pandemic by extend- The man in Tokyo was lucky to be Nepali migrant workers make a ing the deadline of paying loans and able to come in touch with the Non- substantial contribution to the coun- offering subsidized loans and refi- resident Nepali Association (NRNA) try’s economy, but the government nance facilities. For the second year through the NGO that runs telemedi- appears to have been nonchalant in a row, the main focus of the mone- cine service. towards their plight. Migrant workers tary policy has been on relief and But not everyone is. were hailed as heroes when they came recovery of economic sectors affected According to the health committee forward to supply hundreds of oxygen by the pandemic amid the looming of the NRNA, around 400 Nepali cylinders and oxygen concentrators to third Covid-19 wave. Tens of thou- migrant workers have died from their home country after it was devas- sands of people lost their jobs since Covid-19-related complications in var- tated by the second wave. Hospitals at the pandemic hit, shaking Nepal’s ious countries and over 70,000 are that time were forced to turn patients economy massively. Central bank gov- reported to have been infected so far away for a lack of beds and oxygen. ernor Maha Prasad Adhikari said the since the start of the pandemic. According to Dr Sanjeeb Sapkota, new policy seeks to balance the need “Not everyone can manage to get coordinator of the health committee of for monetary relaxation to rehabili- timely hospitalisation as the man the Non-resident Nepali Association, it tate the sectors affected by the Covid- from Tanahun did,” said Dr Prabhat is not easy for migrant workers to get 19 pandemic and the need for mone- Adhikari, an infectious disease and medical care in foreign countries when tary tightening to maintain economic critical care expert who provided tele- they are infected with the coronavirus. and financial stability. (Details on Pg 5) medicine service to the patient. “All >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL BRIEFING Telemedicine Soldier held on charge of suicide abetment to the rescue ... ARGHAKHANCHI: The Area Police Office in Butwal has arrested >> Continued from page 1 a man from Jhirra in Shitaganga Municipality Ward No.