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Parties' 'anti-regressive' protests today The five parliamentarian parties, under the 10th phase of "anti-regressive" movement, are organising mass rallies and protests in Kathmandu from Sunday morning, party sources said. The protests will mainly be based in the Ratnapark area, the sources said. Torch rallies, burning effigies of "regression" and shouting slogans against "absolute monarchy" will the chief features of the protests, according to the sources. Meanwhile, leaders from the student wing of Nepali Congress have demanded with their mother party to give up puzzling views and make a "clear stance" over the issue of monarchical system in Nepal. In a program organised by Nepal Students' Union on Saturday, the student leaders put forth this demand. "The generation of our grandpas like BP Koirala fought with the monarch for democracy. It will be unfortunate, if our generation too will have to fight with the monarch for the same rights," Rajdhani daily quoted the students leaders, as saying. Nepali Congress, since its inception half a century ago, has been supporting a constitutional monarchical system in Nepal. A 10 A.M. report said, the protests have being in the Ratnapark area. nepalnews.com mr Dec 28 Related
News Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is most likely reshuffling the cabinet before his departure to Islamabad on January 2, Nepal Samacharpatra said Sunday, quoting "sources close to PM Thapa." From the reshuffle, Ambassador-at-large Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa will benefit the most, as he is likely to be promoted as the Foreign Affairs Minister, the daily said. After being failing in its bid to constitute an all-party government, the Cabinet now aims at including some RPP central committee members to give the government an all-party shape, the daily said. PM Thapa has consistently been pledging the parliamentarian parties to join the government. On the other hand, parties have been ignoring the proposal remaining firm on their one-point demand of PM's resignation. nepalnews.com mr Dec 28 Proposal to merge 36 VDCs into Kathmandu metropolis With a view to stop the unsystematic construction works in and around the Valley, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has approached the government to merge 36 adjoining VDCs into the KMC, Rajdhani said Sunday. The KMC has recently forwarded a proposal to the Ministry of Local Development asking for the merger permission, the daily said. In the proposal, the KMC has sought permission to merge 19 VDCs (village development committees) of the northern area, 14 VDCs of the western area and 3 VDCs of the northeast area, the daily said. From the northern area, VDCs like Gongbu, Manmaiju, Dhapasi, Godhunga, Dharmasthali, Phutung, Tokha, Saraswati, Khadga Bhadrakali, Mahankal, Kapan, Chunikhel, Chapali Bhadrakali, Budha Nilkantha, Jhor Mahankal, Tokha Chandeshori, Sangla, Baluwa and Kavresthali have been proposed as the new wards of KMC. From the western area, VDCs like Ichangu Narayan, Bhim Dhunga, Ramkot, Sitapaila, Baan Bhanjyang, Dahachowk, Syuchatar, Old and new Naikap Bhanjyang, Balambu Thankot, Mahadevsthan, Satungal and Tinthana have been proposed. From the north-eastern area, VDCs such as Nayapati, Gokarneshor and Jorpati have been proposed, the daily said. According to Khemraj Nepal, secretary at the Ministry, the government is considering bringing a separate Metropolitan City Act soon, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr Dec 28 There was a lull in student protests Saturday as students took a day off in anti-government protests for the weekend. Vehicular traffic in the capital was normal Saturday after it was disrupted during protests Thursday and Friday. But seven student unions have already announced protest plans for next week by disrupting vehicular traffic and holding public demonstrations. The seven unions unions announced fresh protest plans even after the release of three student leaders arrested and charged for anti-King sloganeering on December 16. Students, in anti-government demonstrations, chanted anti-King slogans in campuses Thursday and torched effigies of "regression" Friday. Student unions loyal to five opposition parties said they will continue anti-government protests until government apologies for what they call excesses during demonstrations since December 16 and government compensates injured students in clashes. nepalnews.com br Dec.27 Related
News Kathmandu records first winter shower
Kathmandu and the Valley recorded its first winter shower Saturday. The rain, which was just a drizzle, started at around four in the afternoon and continued into late evening after overcast skies the entire morning. The rain brought down temperatures in the evening. Until then, the minimum temperature was hovering around three degrees Celsius. A cold wave has enveloped the terai region since Thursday. Rains in Nepalgunj Saturday intensified the the cold wave, reports from the region said. nepalnews.com br Dec.27 RPP suspends instant action against PM Thapa Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has no immediate plans to take action against Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, RPP President Pashupati Shumsher Rana told a regional meet of the party in Biratnagar Saturday. "We are confident that PM Thapa will resign soon. So, we have dropped plans to take immediate action against Thapa," Rana said in the RPP's regional meet organized to pressure the government to quit. "We are sure that PM Thapa will pave way for a political outlet soon," Rana said. On PM Thapa's explanation letter sent to the party on Friday, Rana said, the letter was an indication that the PM is giving up soon. "We have, therefore, taken the explanation positively." PM's letter was in response to the RPP Disciplinary Committee's letter to him seeking explanation as to why he did not abide by the party's call to quit. The RPP establishment side led by Rana has plans to organise similar regional meets also in the other four regions, party sources said. The next regional meet is being held in Nepalgunj on December 31, it is learnt. nepalnews .com mr Dec.27 Related
News SAARC summit to go ahead: Jamali Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali said Friday that the suicide attack on the motorcade of President Pervez Musharraf would not upset the South Asian summit scheduled here for January 4, AFP reported from Islamabad. "It will be held on schedule," he told reporters after chairing a ruling party meeting. Jamali said that the security system would be 'revamped" in the country following the twin suicide bombings. Jamali said the government had " found some clues" to the suicide attack on the president, but he refused to divulge details. Nepal Friday condemned the "heinous" and "deplorable acts of terrorism." Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa leaves for Pakistan Jan.2 to lead the Nepali delegation to the 12th SAARC summit. nepalnews.com br Dec.27 Related
News Sixteen members of the Tharuwan Liberation Front, affiliated with Maoists, have left the party, they said in a statement in Biratnagar Friday. President of the Front Krishnalal Chaudhary and vice president Dhukaraj Majhi quit the party and decided to live normal lives. Sixty-two Maoists, members of the Muhung VDC people's village government, have surrendered to a joint security camp at Pasgaon, Mid Pritana Headquarters, Pokhara, said. Government last week announced an amnesty for rebels, friends and relatives if they surrender before Feb.12, 2004. Security forces have encircled a Maoist training camp at Bame in Salyan to destroy it, military sources in Nepalgunj said. Four rebels have died in the operation so far. Walking with hands in pockets has been banned in Dhading district for security reasons. nepalnews.com br Dec.27 Two Maoists students are safe despite a claim Wednesday by the Eastern Division Headquarters of the RNA that they were killed in an encounter in Morang this week. Ishwor Dhungana, central committee member of (ANNISU-R), said in a statement Friday he was safe along with district leader Sanju Chauhan. Dhungana claimed five students were killed after their arrests. Maoist students have called a five-day closure of educational institutions in the district from Monday to protest what they call murders. Rebels have forced the closure of more than 100 schools in Banglung in west Nepal demanding the release of three student leaders. National Human Rights Commission said it is sending team there to investigate the closures. nepalnews.com br Dec.27 Diarrhea and vomiting have claimed 5,242 lives and 281,863 others have been affected in the country in the last six years, RSS said. Lack of awareness and treatment that includes just a simple solution of salt, sugar and water have been attributed as the main reason for the deaths. In 2002 alone, 2,241persons were affected and 57 died. In 2002, altogether 2,011 persons were affected by influenza in 16 districts and eight persons died in Jumla. Statistics collected from 12 districts also say that 20 people died while 7,169 were affected by typhoid, altogether 426 people of nine districts suffered from pneumonia and eight died. nepalnews.com br Dec.27 The government, through a Cabinet meeting Friday, has decided to transfer eight secretaries, Space Time said Saturday, quoting ministerial sources. According to the daily, Lokman Singh Karki, Secretary at the Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE) has been transferred to Health Ministry. Likewise, Tirtha Raj Sharma Gyawali, secretary at the Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) has been transferred to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW), the daily said. Similarly, Lab Kumar Devkota, secretary at the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister's Office has been transferred to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the daily said. The other transferred secretaries include Swayambhu Man Amatya (from Water and Energy Commission to Ministry of Science and Technology), Mohan Bahadur Karki (from National Vigilance Centre to MoPE) and Bijay Raj Bhattarai from Health Ministry to Ministry of Land Reforms and Management (MoLRM), the daily said. In the like manner, transfers of Tika Dutta Niraula (from MoLRM to MoGA) and Mahendra Nath Aryal (from MoPPW to the Council of Ministers and PM's Office) were also made, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr Dec 27 Related
News ADB predicts 4 pc growth rates in 2004 The Asian Development Bank (ADB), despite severe crisis on national economy due to the increased conflicts, predicted on Friday that Nepal's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate would be at over four percent in 2004. Sultan Hafeez Rahman, country director of ADB's Nepal Resident Mission, talking to media at a year-end press conference said that the security situation continues to pose a threat to a sustained and strong GDP growth over the medium term. "Sustained social and economic progress is inevitable to address issues such as regional economic disparities, income inequality, lack of opportunity, and marginalization of ethnic minorities, lower castes and women," Rahman said according to the Himalayan Times. On the same occasion, ADB announced the approval of four loans totaling US $ 94 million and nine technical assistance grants totaling US $ 4.17 million. nepalnews.com mr Dec 27 Related
News Maoist training camp in Salyan cordoned The joint security forces Thursday managed to cordon a military training centre of Maoists rebels at Bamey of Salyan district, the Rising Nepal said Saturday, quoting Nepalgunj based security sources. Before the security forces surrounded the Maoists training centre, the forces killed four Maoists in a skirmish, the daily said. Bamey, a dense forest in the remote Salyan district in mid-west Nepal, is considered a Maoist hotbed, the daily said. High-level security sources in Salyan said forces have been deployed in the area for destroying the training centre, but the Maoists have not responded to the action, according to the daily. nepalnews.com mr Dec 27 PM to leave for SAARC Summit on Jan. 2 Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is leaving for Islamabad on Friday, leading a Nepali delegation to the 12th SAARC Summit in the Pakistani capital from January 4 to 6, a Foreign Ministry statement said. Thapa will formally handover the chairmanship of the SAARC to Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Aafarulla Khan Jamali for the next tenure, the statement said. PM Thapa is scheduled to address the Summit on January 4, 2004. Prior to this, the 24th session of the SAARC Council of Ministers will be held in Islamabad on January 2 and 3. Ambassador-at-large Dr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa will lead the Nepali delegation to the session, the Rising Nepal said. A two-day meeting of the 29th session of the SAARC Standing Committee, comprising Foreign Secretaries of the region on December 31 and January 1, 2004, will precede the meeting of the Council of Ministers, the daily said. nepalnews.com mr Dec 27 Related
News Himalaya Expeditions- Nepal's first UIAA Environment Label holder Himalaya Expeditions has become one of the first UIAA Environment Label holders in the world along with five other European and American expedition companies and the first one to receive this label from Nepal. Union Internationale Des Associations D' Alpinisme is the International Mountaineering and Climbing Association and an apex body of mountaineering associations of the world. Nepal Mountaineering Association is the member of this federation from Nepal. UIAA president Ian McNaught-Davis gave warm praise to the UIAA’s first Environment Label holders. This is an outcome of the Partner Programme launched following the Council meeting in May, 2003. At the official launch of the first Environment Label holders at the UIAA General Assembly in Berchtesgaden, Germany in October 12, 2003 Ian McNaught-Davis said, “it is excellent that these organisations are leading the way but showing their commitment to follow the UIAA’s Environmental Guidelines and Objectives." "This is an excellent way for providers of outdoor activities to help promote good practice in mountain activities and support the UIAA’s international work on mountain protection and access and conservation.” Commenting on this achievement, President of Himalaya Expeditions, an adventure sports tourism company, Mr. Bikram Pandey, a long time tourism professional of Nepal said, "it has made his company more responsible and committed to eco-tourism and would stand as an example of good practice of eco-tourism in Nepal." nepalnews.com dr Dec.26 |
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