WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 90 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 40.1 C 8.0 C Monday, May 25, 2020 | 12-02-2077 Dhangadi Jumla Indian officials’ snub to envoy Acharya in New Delhi does not bode well for talks Nilamber Acharya has been trying to speak to senior bureaucrats in the Indian capital to discuss holding talks regarding the boundary dispute but has had no luck so far. ANIL GIRI KATHMANDU, MAY 24 As pressure mounts on both Nepal and India to initiate talks at the diplo- matic level over the recent boundary disputes, Nepal’s Ambassador to India has been having a difficult time get- ting in touch with any official at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. This could be a sign that India has hardened its position, following Nepal’s release of a new political and administrative map that includes all disputed territories, including Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani. While officials in Kathmandu have said that Nepal is pursuing all chan- nels, both formal and informal, to POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA create an environment conducive for Lights illuminate Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur. talks between Kathmandu and New Delhi, Nilamber Acharya, the Nepali ambassador in New Delhi, has failed to make any headway, according to two diplomatic sources at the Nepali embassy. PHOTO: NEPALI EMBASSY DELHI/TWITTER Corruption in private sector needs probe but so “Ambassador Acharya’s failure is Ambassador Acharya with Indian National not for a lack of trying,” a diplomat at Security Advisor Ajit Doval in February. the Nepali embassy told the Post. “Indian officials refusing to meet with instigation and the India media does corruption in political parties, experts say him has created a very difficult envi- squarely blaming China for the dis- ronment in which to hold talks.” pute. Acharya said that he is initiating According to the officials, Acharya A legal amendment seeks to widen CIAA’s jurisdiction to include private sector but political parties also need scrutiny. talks through both official and unoffi- has repeatedly been attempting to cial channels. either meet in person or hold a phone TIKA R PRADHAN Management Committee has started “I cannot tell you at what level but conversation with Indian Foreign KATHMANDU, MAY 24 clause-wise discussions on the bill to we are talking through different chan- Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla amend the Prevention of Corruption nels,” Acharya told the Post over the and Joint Secretary (North) Piyush An amendment bill that seeks to Act (2002). The amendment bill was phone from New Delhi. “But we have Srivastava, who is in charge of the expand the Commission for registered at the Upper House on yet to ascertain when we will sit for Nepal-Bhutan desk, to no avail. Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s January 20 and was sent for discus- talks. Though the situation is difficult Shringla, the Indian Foreign jurisdiction to also include the private sion to the committee on February 18. due to Covid-19, we have to find a way Secretary, is supposed to lead talks sector is currently under discussion Once the National Assembly passes out, and the only way out is through over the boundary at the Foreign at the federal parliament. While most the bill, it will be sent to the House of diplomatic talks.” Secretary level from the Indian side anti-corruption experts believe that Representatives for discussion. Though Nepali ambassadors in while Srivastava is a key person at the corruption in the private sector needs Currently, the commission only has New Delhi tend to enjoy outsize social External Affairs Ministry in charge scrutiny, political parties too need to the authority to investigate “public clout among the political, academic, of the Nepal-Bhutan desk. come under the commission’s ambit, institutions”, which have been defined media, and business communities, A lack of formal communication they say. as “government funded or semi-gov- Acharya’s failure to gain face time from South Block officials either por- The National Assembly’s Legislative ernment bodies” by clause 2 (C) of the with government officials does not tends a hardening of position or anti-corruption law. The amend- bode well for talks, say diplomats. reflects the Indian bureaucracy’s ment seeks to include all “insti- The boundary row between Nepal ongoing fight against the Covid-19 tutions registered as per the law” POST FILE PHOTO and India has escalated since the for- pandemic. which will bring all registered Analysts say the anti-corruption commission is already overburdened with responsibility. mer’s release of a new political and In a statement on May 9, the Indian companies, private institutions, administrative map that incorporated Ministry of External Affairs had inti- and even non-governmental Corruption to which Nepal is a party. proportionate and dissuasive civil, all territories disputed between the mated that it is ready to hold formal institutions under its jurisdic- The convention states: “Each State administrative or criminal penalties for two countries. The map was issued in talks once the Covid-19 crisis is over. tion. Party shall take measures, in accord- failure to comply with such measures.” response to the Indian inauguration However, a former Nepali ambassa- The commission itself has ance with the fundamental principles The legally binding convention was of a road that passes via Lipulekh to dor to India told the Post that the long demanded that it be allowed of its domestic law, to prevent corrup- endorsed in 2011 by the Jhala Nath connect Kailash-Mansarovar in the Nepali envoy always has leverage in to look into corruption in the tion involving the private sector, Khanal government and all necessary Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Delhi and that all efforts need to be private sector and in non-govern- enhance accounting and auditing laws should have been drafted within Since then, both sides have been made to translate that clout into mean- mental organisations, citing the standards in the private sector and, five years. trading barbs, with Indian army chief ingful action. UN Convention against where appropriate, provide effective, >> Continued on page 5 MM Naravane pointing to third-party >> Continued on page 5 C M Y K MONDAY, MAY 25, 2020 | 02 MEDLEY Inside the Post Quote of the day With patients testing positive for Covid-19, more hospitals National could close down completely, Page 3 As the law minister and the Speaker of the House have both sought unanimous passage of the proposed amendment to the constitution, the Madhes-based par- ties have asked that the amendment incorporate their demands too. “If we keep shutting down hospitals after the detection of Covid-19 cases, Opinion Promisingly, Nepal already has relatively low carbon emissions, and our energy other patients could die without needs (excluding for cooking) are largely met through hydropower, which is a major component for a green approach and has vast untapped potential. getting minor treatments.” Money Dr Sher Bahadur Pun of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital on the danger of closing hospital over Covid-19 fears. China’s efforts to resolve risks among high-risk financial institutions have been hampered by slower economic conditions caused by the outbreak of the new coro- navirus, the head of a provincial branch of the central bank told Reuters. World Most read online China said Sunday that relations with the United States were “on the brink of a new Cold War”, fuelled in part by tensions over the coronavirus pandemic, as Madhes-based parties press own demands alongside Muslims around the world celebrated a muted end to the holy month of Ramadan. constitution amendment for new map The government on Friday registered a constitution amendment proposal in Culture & Arts Parliament seeking to amend Article 119 (2), which is related to Schedule 3 that For the past 12 years, Pitbull Gym, in Chuchepati, has opened at 5:30 in the morn- talks about the national emblem. The proposal is aimed at updating the map of ing. One of the first to reach the gym is Kishor, the gym’s owner/chief instructor. Nepal in the national emblem, in line with the government’s decision to depict By 10am, which is when the gym’s morning shift ends, an average of 60 gym Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura as Nepali territories. members will have finished their daily workout. The myth and methods of teaching English in Nepal How much of English teaching in Nepal is a myth and how much is reality? These are the major questions that teachers of the language, at all levels of edu- cation, are facing today. We will face this more strongly in the days to come. But News Quiz one reality about English teaching is that it will grow, especially in terms of the need for this language in a world lashed by the storm of Covid-19. 1. Who is the highest-paid female POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI athlete in the world according A girl plays on a swing in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, on Sunday. Schools across the country have Kathmandu ward makes it compulsory for relief recipients to Forbes magazine? been closed for the last two months because of the coronavirus lockdown. to work for four hours to check fraud a. Serena Williams A ward in Kathmandu Metropolitan City has made it compulsory for at least b. Ronda Rousey one member to perform labor work assigned by local authorities, if the family is c. Naomi Osaka to receive essentials from the government d. Alex Morgan On this day in history 2. A municipality in which of the Yeltsin vetoes election law Deceased migrants are being cremated overseas following districts has decided to give Rs 178 to each person MOSCOW – President Boris Yeltsin on Tuesday vetoed a new election law that as lockdowns delay repatriation kept in quarantine facilities PHOTO: MOSCOW ZOO would have made it easier for parties rather than independent candidates to win Families of deceased Nepali migrant workers have started giving their approval instead of food? b.