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Refugees happy but concerned
Damak, March 31: For the 100,000 Bhutanese living in UNHCR administered refugee camps in east Nepal for over a
decade now the verification process that started for the first time Monday brings both joy and
anxiety. The verification is slow as the joint teams from Nepal and Bhutan interview 10 families a
day although officials from both sides say the process will gain momentum. “We will speed up the
investigation. We are gaining experience in the first few days of work," said Dr Sonam Tshering, the
leader of the Bhutanese team.
The refugees who have been living in Nepal for over a decade now worry about whether they will ever
regain their homes and farms in Bhutan even if they make it there. The teams are examining land
deeds and other documents to ascertain the Bhutanese identity of the displaced persons as
Thimpu claims the refugees are illegal Nepali immigrants. Uncertainty reigns in the seven refugee
camps in Jhapa and Morang as the displaced persons say Nepal and Bhutan have yet to agree on
final repatriation even after the verification is completed.
“Verification has started. But we are not certain if and when we can return home,” said KB
Chauhan, a refugee who was member of the Bhutan National Assembly from 1981- 1990.
“Identification process should be speeded up and repatriation started at the earliest.”
Tara Gautam, another refugee slipped into southern Bhutan last month and discovered her orchard
in Laupane untended. The Bhutanese government has distributed farms of refugees from Laupane to
Dukpas but the fields look barren. Gautam fled to Jhapa 10 years ago when after an ethnic
cleansing policy of Thimpu. Refugee groups have asked the Bhutanese government to stop the
distribution of refugee property immediately not to complicate resettlement after repatriation.
Another refugee concern is whether to tolerate or rebel against the harsh rule of King Jigme Singhe
Wangchuk after living in a free atmosphere in Nepal for a decade. Nepalnews.com/rh/br/at
Nepali team chief retires
Kathmandu, March 31: The Nepali leader of the joint verification team verifying the status of 100,000 Bhutanese refugees for
repatriation has retired and has been replaced by Jung Bahadur Rana, Home Ministry sources said.
Mrs Usha Nepal, Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry, retired this week after reaching her
mandatory retirement age.
The new head Rana, is the Chief District Officer of Jhapa where six of the seven UNHCR
administered refugee camps are located; the seventh camp is in adjoining Morang district. The
verification process that began Monday is continuing despite replacement. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Bomb scare delays IA flight
Kathmandu, March 31: A hoax bomb scar delayed flight IC-748 of Indian Airlines bound for Kolkatta from Kathmandu for
nearly six hours on Friday, airport officials said. Security officials searched the aircraft after a
telephone call warning a bomb had been planted in the aircraft. The flight took off at 6.05pm and
landed in Kolkatta at 7.05pm, airport officials said. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Exchange holdings to meet imports for 11 months
Kathmandu, 31 March: The Nepal Rastra Bank has announced that the treasury’s foreign exchange holding of Rs
106,029.5 million until mid February is enough to meet imports for 11 months. Inflation in the first
seven months of the current fiscal year 2000/1 was two percent because of the decline in prices of
food and beverages compared to 4.6 percent last year.
Government expenditure shot up by 19.2 percent to Rs 32,676.9 million; regular expenditure went
up 24.4 percent while development expenditure increased marginally by 9.3 percent. Some financial
analysts have expressed alarm at the increasing regular government expenditure and declining
development expenditure. Even before the mobilization of the Royal Nepal Army at several customs
points along Nepal’s border with India and Tibet, revenue collection increased 18.4 percent to Rs
24,633.2 million compared to 12.1 percent in the same period last year. Time deposits this year fell
by 6 percent to Rs 7,521.7 from 13.3 percent (Rs 13.483.9 million) last year because of downward
revision of interest rates. Balance of payments for the first five months of the current fiscal year was
favourable at Rs 4571.1 million. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Maoists
kill policeman
Kathmandu, 30 March:
One policeman was killed while another was inured in a Maoist attack on a
police outpost at Panrahi village in Rautahat district Friday morning.
This was the first attack of its kind carried out in Rautahat. Rebels
decamped with two rifles and some ammunition. Nepalnews.com/br/at
King
confers Gorkha Dakshin Bahu
Kathmandu, March 30: King
Birendra conferred the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu on Japanese citizen Sigeko
Vieno, along with an Austrian and a Thai national at the Royal Palace
Friday. They were mentioned in the honour’s list on the King's 56th
birthday in last December. Nepalis were also conferred orders, decorations
and medals by the King. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Acharya’s
resignation rejected
Kathmandu, March 30:
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala rejected the resignation rendered
by defence minister Mahesh Acharya and asked him to continue in office, an
announcement from the premier’s office said Friday. Acharya resigned on
moral grounds after the Supreme Court reinstated Dr Tilak Rawal as
governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. The announcement said Acharya’s
"role and co-operation was necessary." Nepalnews.com/br/at
$44.6
million granted by Japan for Melumchi
Kathmandu, March 30:
Japan Friday gave Nepal a $44.6 million loan to execute the Melumchi
drinking water project that aims to supply drinking water to the capital.
Ambassador Mitsuaki Kojima and finance secretary Dr Bimal Koirala signed
the loan agreement at the Finance Ministry. The Asian Development Bank has
already announced its funding for the project. Other members of the
consortium are OPEC, Norway, Sweden and a Japanese bank. Their
contributions have yet to officially announced. Drinking water will be
diverted to the capital through a tunnel after damming the Melunchi
river. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Usual
scenes in Parliament
Kathmandu, 30 March:
As usual, Parliament proceedings of both the Upper House and Lower House
were adjourned until Wednesday after all opposition parties in both Houses
walked out of today’s meetings. CPN-UML, RPP and other communist
lawmakers boycotted the House meeting repeating their demands for Prime
Minister Girija Prasad Koirala`s resignation while the Nepal Sadbhavana
Party walked out protesting against the two ordinances concerning the
creation of the Armed Police Force and appointment of regional
administrators.
Even after the
opposition’s walkout, some lawmakers of the ruling party called upon the
speaker and chairman to run their respective House, as there was a
presence of majority lawmakers. Presiding officers in both the Houses said
conducting the House in the absence of opposition was against the spirit
of parliamentary system. Nepalnews.com/yl/at
Parliamentary
delegation leaves for Cuba
Kathmandu, March 30:
A parliamentary delegation led by National Assembly vice chairman
Chiranjivi Prasad Rijal left for Cuba to participate in the 105th
conference of the Inter-Parlaimentary Union, Friday. The delegation
includes members of parliament Ram Bahadur Bista, Krishna Prasad Dahal,
Rabindra Nath Sharma, Sharada Pokhrel, Bachaspati Devkota, Keshab Lal
Shrestha and deputy secretary Manohar Prasad Bhattarai. Nepalnews.com/br/at
FNCCI
delivers relief material for Gujarat quake victims
Kathmandu, March 30: The
Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has
collected a total of 14 tons of relief material for the recent earthquake
victims of the Indian State of Gujarat. The FNCCI delivered the second
consignment of 2.5 tons of relief material to the Indian embassy recently.
Food, clothes and other materials were collected from industrial and
business establishments in Nepal for one of India's worst disasters. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Defence Minister Acharya resigns
Kathmandu, March 29: Defence Minister Mahesh Acharya resigned from his post Thursday on moral grounds following the
decision of the Supreme Court to reinstate Dr Tilak Rawal as Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank.
Acharya dismissed Dr Rawal last September and appointed retired bureaucrat Dipendra Purush
Dhakal in the post of Governor of the central bank when he was Finance Minister. The Supreme
Court Wednesday ruled that the decision to dismiss Dr Rawal was legally faulty and issued an
order to reinstate him in his earlier post. Acharya met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today
and handed over the resignation letter, sources at Prime Minister's office said. The resignation
comes as a severe setback for Koirala who is facing a severe opposition demand of resignation as
Acharya is believed to be a close aide of his. Nepalnews.com/yl/br/at
Japan welcomes Bhutanese refugee verification
Kathmandu, March 29: Japan Thursday welcomed the beginning of the verification of nearly 100,000 Bhutanese refugees of
Nepali ethnicity living in UNHCR administered camps in east Nepal for the last decade. Japan helps
the refugees through the World Food Programme.
Nepal and Bhutan began to verify the status of the refugees Monday. The exiled refugees have
called for faster verification while welcoming the beginning of the process.
Nepalnews.com/br/at
Restoration and preservation of cultural sites
Kathmandu, March 29: Two dilapidated Hindu and Buddhist shrines in the capital will be restored with local and
international effort. Government and locals from Tripureshwor have joined hands to reconstruct the
crumbling Shiva temple constructed by Queen Tripurasundari 200 years ago along the Bagmati river
opposite the Dashrath Stadium. The government has set aside Rs 3 million for the restoration
project and locals have also collected donations. The Department of Archaeology will take the lead
in the restoration of the temple.
In another preservation effort, Japan’s Suitomo Foundation has contributed $ 23,000 to preserve the
Yetkha Bahal Aganchen near Hanuman Dkoka Palace. The Foundation has sent the contribution to
the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Kathmandu office,
to begin the restoration later this year.
Traditional houses around the square with a Buddhist Stupa in the middle are either collapsing or
being replaced by gaudy concrete structures.
The government, meanwhile, is preparing an inventory of houses around Kathmandu Valley's world
heritage sites including Pashupatinath, Syambhunath to protect the original and unique character of
the surroundings, an official of the Department of Archaeology said. Owners and builders will have
to maintain the original character of
the area during reconstruction.
UNESCO and Nepali officials are currently meeting this week in Bhaktapur to prepare a campaign
strategy to preserve and protect the Hindu and Buddhist structures of the Valley amid threats to
de-list the sites from the world heritage list because of uncontrolled construction destroying the
original character of the environment. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Bodies of
Australian mother, daughter flown to capital
Kathmandu, March 29:
The bodies of Australian Air Force flight sergeant Michelle Hackket
and her eight year old daughter Kathleen Hackket dug out 24 hours earlier
from an avalanche debris were flown to the capital and handed over to the
Australian Embassy Thursday. The search for the third missing Australian
squadron leader Peter Szypula and the Israeli Noam Hevil at the site
continues. An avalanche buried them Saturday when they were en route to
the resort town of Pokhara after a trek around Mt Annapurna, the world's
tenth tallest peak. Nepalnews.com/br/at
Bastola
leaves for tri-nation tour
Kathmandu, March 29:
Foreign minister Chakra Prasad Bastola left for New Delhi Thursday en
route to Denmark and Finland. He is scheduled to release a book on BP
Koirala in the Indian capital Friday after which he will be leaving for
Denmark and Finland for an official visit. Bastola will hold official
talks on matters relating to economic co-operation with his Scandinavian
counterparts, 3-7 April. Denmark and Finland are major aid donors to
Nepal. Nepalnews.com/br/at
82 kg
cannabis haul in Birgunj
Birgunj, March 29: In
one of the biggest hauls in the current fiscal year, police seized 82 kg
of cannabis from the house of Nathuni Hajam in Birgunj after a raid
Wednesday. Police said the drug consignment worth nearly Rs 600000 was
destined for India. Nepalnews.com/br/at
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