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Rs.5.2 million withdrawn through forged cheques

Altogether Rs.5.2 million of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve was withdrawn from the Nepal Rashtra Bank in 13 days between June 28 and July 18 by forging the signature of the Department's accountant, a banking source said.

Assistant cashier Hiran Niraula has been arrested for questioning. nepalnews.com br Aug.14

Nepali construction team in Gujarat

A technical team experienced in constructing earthquake-resistant houses left for Gujarat  this week  to help in reconstruction work in the state where India's worst natural disaster in January killed thousands of persons and left behind widespread  destruction, an announcement said.

The team dispatched by Seismological Society Nepal consists of engineer Vijaya Upadhaya and masons Krishna Bahadur Khadka and Ram Krishna Kasula. Upadhaya has helped construct several quake proof schools in Kathmandu Valley. nepalnews.com br Aug.14

Trekking agents call for withdrawal of charges

The Trekking Agents Association of Nepal ( TAAN ) has asked the Kathmandu Municipal Corporation to withdraw its decision to charge tourists fees for visiting Hanuman Dhoka from Friday while calling the move unjustifiable. Visitors should instead be provided maximum facilities when overall arrivals are declining, the Association said.

The Corporation decided to charge visitors from SAARC Rs.20 and tourists from other countries Rs..200 for the upkeep of the old palace. nepalnews.com br Aug.14

CPN-UML, ML close for merger

After four years of being split, the main opposition CPN-UML and its break away faction called CPN-ML seem to be heading closer for unity. Both parties have underlined the need for broader left unity in general and between CPN-ML and CPN-ML in particular.

The main opposition CPN-UML in its central committee and standing committee meetings last week decided to go ahead with unity with other small communist parties. It wrote to other left parties except the underground CPN-Maoist to create broader left unity. " As a largest communist party our responsibility is to bring all left parties together", said Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of
CPN-UML. According to him, now it depends on the response of other parties. There are more than a dozen communist parties in Nepal. Another major left party, CPN-ML, has also decided to discuss with CPN-UML unity.

Bam Dev Gautam, general secretary of CPN-ML, said that we are positive towards left unity and have already written back to CPN-UML explaining our decision and position. The move for unity among the communist parties that believe in parliamentary political system was because of the growing influence of Nepal Communist Party ( Maoist).

The Maoist party so far does not believe in multi-party democracy and seeks for overthrowing monarchy and multi-party democracy. It has been launching an armed insurgency for the last six years which has already killed more than 1800 people. Maoist party says the people's democracy can only be established through armed revolution and condemns the parliamentary communist groups. The unity between CPN-UML and CPN-ML is possible in the near future. It is not possible with other left parties in the immediate future, says a leftist scholar. nepalnews.com yl Aug.13 

Nearly 17 injured in land dispute

At least 17 persons were injured in a shoot-out and ensuing clashes in a land dispute between a father and a son at Bhimpur village in Parsa district Saturday, police said. The violence started when a court team went to inspect a contested farmland in a property dispute. 
nepalnews.com br Aug.13 

Maternal uncle of Debyani Rana calls on King

Madavrao Scindia, maternal uncle of Debyani Rana, called on King Gyanendra at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace Sunday, published reports said.

Scindia is also a senior leader  of the Congress (I). Details of the discussion were not known. Debyani slipped out of the country after the June 1 Narayanhiti Royal Palace carnage. Debyani was Crown Prince Dipendra's girlfriend. nepalnews.com br Aug.13

Armed Police, Local Administration Bills approved

The House of Representatives (Lower House of Parliament) approved two controversial Armed Police and Local Administration Bills toady. As the Bill was presented for voting in today's meeting of the Lower House, the ruling Nepali Congress and main opposition CPN-UML supported the Bills, while other small parties opposed it. CPN-UML supported as the government incorporated amendments in some clauses of the Bills. CPN-UML lawmaker Subash Nmbang presented the amendment to the Bills.Other parties also presented amendments but they were rejected by majority.

These two Bills replace the ordinances approved by the parliament just a couple of days ago.  As per the constitutional provision, the government must get the Bills passed to replace the ordinances within two months of summoning of parliament session. The government had bought about two ordinance concerning Armed Police and Local Administration, which must be replaced by Bills. nepalnews.com yl Aug.12

NEPSE index gains 5.99 points

The NEPSE index gained 5.99 points at the end of five-day trading Friday. Trading opened at 321.12 points Monday and closed at 327.11 points Friday.

Altogether 40,707 shares of 38 companies valued at  Rs.18.9 million were sold through 988 transactions during the week. The index of commercial banks increased from 340.89 to 350.87 and
accounted for 70.79 percent of the total shares traded. The Bank of Kathmandu lead the market with Rs.3.06 million shares traded. nepalnews.com br Aug.12

Nepal's population 23.2 million

Nepal's  population is 23.2 million with final census figures expected in another five months. Women outnumber men by 40,000 with the male population estimated at 11.58 million. This year's census data  were presented Friday at a news conference.

Kathmandu's population is 1.09 million-up from 675,341 a decade ago while Manang has the lowest population in the kingdom with only 9,494 people. Kailali has the highest population growth rate of 3.93 percent.

Altogether 48.5 percent of the population live in the terai, 44.20 in the mid hills and 7.37 in the himalayan region. The size of the household fell to 5.38 from 5.56. Altogether 85.8 percent of the population live in villages while 14.2 percent are urbans.

Census figures could not be collected in 80 villages of eight Maoist insurgency affected districts. nepalnews.com br Aug.11

USAID adds $ 60 million to health programme

Nepal and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently signed an amendment adding $60 million to the strategic objective agreement for reduced fertility and protected health of Nepali families, an announcement said.

The amendment brings the total estimated USAID contribution for the health programme to $110 million. The agreement which was first signed in 1996 has been extended for five years to 2006. nepalnews.com br Aug.11.

An all party conference Friday gave Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba its unanimous mandate to talk with Maoists to end a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 1800 lives in nearly six years peacefully through negotiations.

"The government must move with maximum restraint  and carefully to protect the basic fundamental and human rights enshrined in the constitution and solve the problem peacefully," a joint press statement attended by 41 participants said at the meeting's end.  Talks should begin unconditionally and immediately with the rebels, the statement said.

The cessation of hostilities by the government and the Maoists was a "positive sign" and urged  the insurgents to end other forceful acts that are still continuing, the statement said. 

There should be a negotiated, peaceful  and political solution to the conflict, the participants said. Deuba received the unanimous support he  sought from all political parties represented in parliament Friday to begin talks with the Maoists. nepalnews.com br Aug.10

Landslide buries 20 persons in Okhaldunga

Two persons among 20 people buried by a landslide were pulled out  alive but in serious condition at a village in Okhaldunga Thursday night, police said. 

Bodies of two other persons have been  pulled out of the rubble as rescue workers continued efforts to pull out others buried under tons of mud and rock in stormy weather Friday, police said. 

Hopes of  finding others alive are slim, police said. The landslide swooped down on Dakra village at 6.60 PM after three hours of heavy rain. nepalnews.com br Aug.10

UML candidate elected Assembly Vice-Chairman

UML candidate Ram Paswan was elected Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly, the upper chamber of parliament Friday by 31 votes, election officials said. 

Nepali Congress candidate Ashok Koirala secured 26 votes. UML is the single largest party in the Assembly. nepalnews.com br Aug.10

Japanese embassy gives grant for sericulture development

The Japanese embassy Friday gave a $39,450 grant equivalent to Rs.2.9 million to a NGO for the development of sericulture in 13 districts in Nepal, a Japanese embassy press release said. 

The grant was awarded to the Society for Action and Research for Sustainable Development (SOARS). The grant will be used to purchase  equipment, including spray pumps and masks,  for farmers.

Japan started a programme to support sericulture development in Nepal last year to encourage silk export. nepalnews.com br Aug.10

All party conference begins

An all party conference called by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to forge a  common platform to negotiate with Maoists to end a communist insurgerncy that has claimed more than 1,800 lives in nearly six years began in  the capital Friday morning.

Deuba chaired the meeting that began at the conference hall of the National Planning Commission at the Singha Durbar. Altogether 36 representatives of all political parties represented in parliament are participating. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhatt and Chairman of the National Assembly Dr.Mohommad Moshin also attended Friday's meet.Former Prime Ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Girija Prasad Koirala of Deuba's ruling Nepali Congress party  also attended Friday's opening session. 

Madav Nepal, the main opposition leader in parliament, represented the UML. Surya Bahadur Thapa president of the RPP and Gajendra Narayan Singh chief of the Nepal Sadbavana party and Mrs. Shana Pradhan head of the Nepal Communist party (Marxist Leminist) also attended. nepalnews.com br Aug.10