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CIAA recommends action against Minister Joshi

Kathmandu, 7 March: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), has recommended Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to take necessary action against Minister for Local Development Govinda Raj Joshi for his alleged irregularities in the examination for teachers conducted five years ago when he was the Minister for Education. The CIAA said that the investigation found that Joshi ordered to select for interview even those who had failed in written test conducted for the vacant posts of teachers. CIAA said that he even had the Education Regulation amended without consulting with other concerned bodies, in which CIAA has raised question over the intention of the minister. The action of minister Joshi deteriorated the faith of people in the fairness of teacher selection process, CIAA said. The anti-corruption body also asked the government to remove the names of those who were selected for interview on Joshi’s the instruction. CIAA, however, has not recommended the type of action to be taken.

The government had advertised for 14,000 schoolteachers in the country and 87,000 had been selected for interview. CIAA objected to it and said it was against the existing rules of Public Service Commission. According to rules, only 20 per cent additional names should be selected for interview from the written test. Nepalnews.com/yl/br/at

Naya Nepal Post hits news-stand

Kathmandu, 7 March: A new fortnightly English language news-magazine Naya Nepal Post hit news-stands Wednesday. The magazine is published by the Current Publication Pvt Ltd and is edited by Devendra Gautam. The Current Publication also publishes the popular Nepali language weekly newspaper Naya Currenti.

"Nepal Post has come back. It has returned to your service after a gap. The first issue came out on 14 December 1973. Nepal Post is published in a foreign language so that the unbiased segment of the elite and the Nepal loving foreigners can be directly informed about the country’s policies and development process," the paper said in its first editorial. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Government asks Maoists to come to negotiating table

Kathmandu, 6 March: The government made public whereabouts of all arrested in the last five years in connection with Maoist insurgency and asked Maoists insurgents to come to the negotiating table to end the insurgency. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel made public the names of 302 persons arrested or detained in cases related to the insurgency. According to the Home Ministry, 20 people are in police custody under the Public Security Act, while 285 are in different jails of the country, and are facing trial for different criminal acts.

Deputy Prime Minister said that the government has fulfilled a major demand of the insurgents and
that Maoists also need to make public the whereabouts of all those people kidnapped by the rebels
in the past five years. The Home Ministry says that Maoists kidnapped 412 people in the last five
years. Of them, 26 people have been killed and 255 released, Deputy Prime Minister said. The
whereabouts of 131 others are still not known.

Poudel asked Maoists to honestly come to the negotiating table to end the insurgency.He said
there is no alternative to talks for consolidation of democracy and development and that the
government move was made to facilitate the meditating role being played by some human rights
activists to bring Maoist insurgents to negotiating table. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

People’s Committee for Peace Dialogue formed

Kathmandu, 6 March: A "People’s Committee for Peace Dialogue" was formed Tuesday in the capital to "facilitate" talks between the government and Maoists to end the communist insurgency.

Human rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar is its convenor while the other members are: former
Speaker of Parliament Daman Nath Dhungana, President of the Nepal Bar Association Sindhunath Pyakhurel, President of the Human Rights Organization Nepal S.Pathak and President of CWIN Gauri Pradhan.

The committee was formed and given the nomenclature at its first meeting after a meeting of ten
human rights organisations. Tuladhar said he had not yet directly contacted the Maoists to begin a dialogue. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Denmark gives Rs 294.7 million to improve capital’s air quality

Kathmandu, 6 March: Denmark gave Nepal a grant of Rs 297.4 million to improve the air quality in an around the capital Tuesday. Denmark has been financing the construction of battery-powered three-wheelers to bring down pollution level in Kathmandu valley. The new grant is the fifth component of an environment improvement programme for the Valley. Representatives of the two governments signed the loan agreement at the Finance Ministry Tuesday. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Former National Assembly member dead

Kathmandu, 6 March: Juddha Bahadur Neupane, former member of the National Assembly died at Dang hospital after a brief illness Sunday. He was 84. Neupane was elected to the first parliament in 1958 and was a senior member of the Nepali Congress from Dang. The party has condoled Neupane’s death. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Procession against demolition of Buddha statues

Kathmandu, 5 March: Students took to the streets in Kathmandu today to protest against the Taliban decision to demolish the ancient statues of Lord Buddha in Afghanistan. A rally was taken out in Kathmandu at the call of the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), student wing of the ruling Nepali Congress that called upon the world community to protect the ancient relics of the Buddha in Afghanistan. 

Students holding posters of Lord Buddha and placards reading "Save Lord Buddha’s Images, Oppose Terrorism" went round major parts of the city. Ishwar Panthi, an official of the NSU, said a memorandum was handed over to the UNDP asking the United Nation to take concerted efforts to save the ancient statues. Similarly, a huge procession is being taken out in Kathmandu Wednesday at the call of Dharmodaya Sabha, a Buddhist association. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

House adjourned until 8 March

Kathmandu, 5 March: The Lower House of Parliament was adjourned Monday following continued protests by five opposition parties. As soon as Speaker Taranath Ranabhat began proceedings of the House, opposition lawmakers protested by congregating before the speaker’s podium and blocked proceedings. The speaker made repeated requests to the opposition lawmakers to resume their seats but they continued to chant slogans demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala over the Lauda Air deal. The speaker then adjourned the house until 8 March.
Nepalnews.com/yl/at

Handicapped Indian to climb Sagarmatha

Kathmandu, 5 March: Baba Munindra Pal, an Indian national without a leg, will attempt to climb the 8848m Sagarmatha, the world’s tallest peak, this spring from the Nepali side of the peak on the Nepal-Tibet frontier, the Ministry of Tourism said Monday. Pal is leading a seven-member Indian team to Sagarmatha and will try to reach the peak by 31 May when the spring climbing season ends. "He has been climbing smaller peaks in India. We granted permission without any hesitation," said Shyam Kuikel of the Tourism Ministry. The Ministry announced permits for 10 expeditions to climb Sagarmatha this spring, all of them through the normal southeast ridge.

A 12-member Indian army expedition led by Lt Col SC Sharma will also attempt Sagarmatha while Biviane Cuo will lead the first Chilean women’s expedition to the peak, the Ministry of Tourism said. Three American, two Indian, two Spanish and one expedition each from Japan, Chile and Germany will attempt Sagarmatha this spring.

The Ministry also announced permits for 22 teams from 11 countries to climb six peaks in Nepal although more teams could join as the climbing season progresses. Five teams received permission to scale the 8463m high Makalu, four teams to climb the 6812m high Ama Dablam, and one expedition each to the 7126m Himlung, 6779m Kantega and the 8163m high Manaslu. Nepalnews.com/br/at

PM Koirala leaves for France

Kathmandu, 5 March: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala left for France Monday to begin the official visit of the republic Tuesday at the invitation of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. "This is a working visit which I hope will help further strengthen the lng existing bilateral relations between Nepal and France," Koirala said. "France in 1998 took Nepal off the list of donation recipient countries. I want to get Nepal re-enlisted so that economic assistance to Nepal may be
resumed. I hope the visit will help further strengthen bilateral economic and political relationship," Koirala told reporters adding "Economic affairs will be the main agenda of my official talks with Prime Minister Lionel Jospin."

French investments in hydropower generation, tourism, communications and agriculture will be discussed, an official said.

"It is a matter of bilateral relationship and dealings between countries," Koirala said in response to a question why he was leaving the country when parliament proceedings are being stalled by the opposition demanding his resignation.

Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola and Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat are accompanying Koirala along with a business delegation. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Two Maoists killed in Jumla

Kathmandu, 5 March: Two Maoists were killed on the spot in an exchange of gunfire with police at a village in Jumla district,Sunday police said. Two policemen injured in the firing were evacuated to Nepalgunj by helicopter for treatment. Police also arrested three activists of the underground party.
Nepalnews.com/br/at

Bhattarai elected NTA president

Kathmandu, 5 March: Keshav Prasad Bhattarai was elected president of the Nepal Teacher’s Association while Chunisharan Yadav was elected senior vice president Sunday. Bijayananda Jha, Bishnu Adhikari, Min Bahadur KC, Jhak Bahadur Dangi and Prem Singh Bohra were elected vice presidents and Mohan Gyawali was elected general secretary. The fourth national general convention elected 30 office bearers of the Association, an announcement said. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Kathmandu, 4 March: Measles has claimed the lives of at least 28 children at villages in Kalikot district while affecting 200 others in five weeks, locals said. The health post at Thirpu remains closed despite the outbreak of the disease. 

The disease has spread in Nanikot, Ramnakot, Thirpu, Chapre, Pakha and Chilkhaka villages. Diarrhoea has also surfaced out at some places. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Protests continue against destruction of statues

Kathmandu, 4 March: Protests and outrage continue in Nepal over the destruction of ancient Buddha statues by hard-line Taliban rulers in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said "the act deserves the condemnation from all quarters."

The ruling Nepali Congress party in a statement asked the government to bring the destroyed objects for preservation at Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. The party asked the international community to pressure the Taliban to stop the sacrilege but the appeal may have come too late. Reports from Afghanistan say the Taliban have already started destroying Buddha idols.
Nepalnews.com/br/at