Melamchi donors to meet Monday

Donors of the Melamchi Water Supply Project will meet this Monday (April 19, 2004) mainly to discuss "insecurity" posed by the Maoist insurgency to the ambitious project, sources said.

The project, designed to end chronic water shortage in Kathmandu Valley, is an inter basin water-supply project that supplies water from the snow-fed Melamchi river in Sindhupalchowk to the capital.

For this, 170 MLD water will be diverted from Melamchi through a 26-km long tunnel. The Project comprises of five parts: infrastructure development, social and environmental support, institutional reforms, project implementation support and other studies.

"Monday's meeting will discuss security arrangements the Project needs to expedite the present snail-pace in its construction works," the source said.

The donors of the project include Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Norwegian Agency for International Development (Norad), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Nordic Development Fund (NDF), Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Japanese Government (JG).

His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMGN) has expressed commitment to build the main access road unto the project and administer the land acquisition and compensation works. The Project's cost is estimated close to half a billion US dollars. nepalnews.com mr Apr 16 04

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Govt. worried about Nepali workers in Iraq: FM

Foreign Minister Dr Bhekh Bahadur Thapa has said the government is worried about the state of Nepali workers in Iraq in view of the spate of violence in recent times. 

“Though the government has not granted work permit for Iraq, thousands of Nepali workers are learnt to have gone there via other gulf countries with the help of brokers. We are trying to figure out the number,” Annapurna Post quoted the minister as saying. 

This week, two British Gurkha soldiers were killed in an ambush planted by insurgent groups and another Nepali worker was kidnapped and later released. 

“The government may take initiative to help those willing to return,” he said. According to the report, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Labor have no records about Nepali workers in Iraq. nepalnews.com mbk April 16 04

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Stop rights violation: AI

Referring to the mass police arrests of protesters taking part in the demonstration Thursday afternoon, Amnesty International (AI) in its press communiqué Thursday evening appealed to the government to stop human rights violation against peaceful protesters. 

The global human rights watch dog requested the government to honor its commitment to provide all assistance to the National Human Rights Commission to carry out its monitoring duties. “In light of the massive increase in arrests and detention of protesters in the last two weeks, we are concerned that security provisions are being abused to prevent legitimate political expression and to harass and arbitrarily detain peaceful protestors.” 

It also expressed the concern that the preventive detention provisions under Public Security Act (PSA) were being used to stop the organizers of the rallies in continuing their campaign. “We urge the authorities to stop these mass arrests and to ensure that any future arrests and detentions are based on adequate grounds and are in line with international Covenant on Political and Civil Rights (ICCPR), to which Nepal is a party." 

Those who are detained must be held in suitable conditions, treated humanely, given access to their lawyers and families, and either promptly charged and brought to trial, or immediately released, the release further added. nepalnews.com pd Apr 16 04

Home service for HIV infected

Nava Kiran Plus (NKP), a non-governmental organization of people infected by the HIV/AIDS, is going to organize door-to-door service for the people infected with the virus from Saturday, a report said.

Two of the members of the organization, who are living with HIV, will be providing the services on cycles. Moreover, the organization is also going to provide free clinical services to the HIV infected people in its central office in Kathmandu.

"These services will help provide counseling and medical services to people living with HIV, especially those who have not been able to! disclose their status for fear of stigma and discrimination," The Himalayan Times quoted Rajiv Kafle, coordinator of NKP as saying. "In addition, these services will provide employment opportunities for the members of NKP."

The door-to-door services, will generally be focused in the areas where more people are addicted to drugs and are involved in other risky behaviors. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04

CJ appoints six temporary justices

Chief Justice (CJ) Govinda Bahadur Shrestha on Thursday appointed six senior judges as temporary justices of the Supreme Court (SC), with the consent of King Gyanendra, as per the provision in Article 83 (13) of the constitution, reports said. 

The newly appointed judges are Sharada Prasad Pandit, Sharada Shrestha, Arjun Prasad Singh, Harijung Sijapati, Badri Kumar Basnet and Balaram KC.

According to the SC, though the CJ had recommended a three year term, the King gave his approval for two years. The number of Justices at the SC has now reached 20. 
nepalnews.com pd Apr 16 04 

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Protesters burn govt. vehicle

Pro-democracy protesters Friday morning set fire to a government motorcycle belonging to the Irrigation Department at Bhimsensthan, Kathmandu, police said.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry said it has released all but 22 protesters arrested on Thursday. The government is investigating the background of 22 arrested, the Ministry said. 

Other reports received by 9:30 am Friday said anti-government protests have resumed in various parts of the capital from early morning. nepalnews.com mr Apr 16 04 

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Forty Maoists, seven civilians killed in Achham air raid

Forty Maoist rebels and seven civilians were killed Monday afternoon in an air raid launched by the security forces in Binayak region of Achham district, Rajdhani daily said Friday.

According to the report, thousands of civilians from various parts of the district gathered in the school premises to observe the Maoists’-called program when security forces launched aerial bombings. 

Four civilians killed in the bombings have been identified as Netra Kathayat, Nare Dholi, Prabhunath Jaisi, Gita Chalaune while the others are yet to be identified. Jaisi and Dholi were teachers in the local high school while Kathayat and Chalaune were students in the same school, the report added.

Maoists themselves performed the last rituals of Dholi, Jaisi and Chalaune while the body of Kathayat was handed over to his family members, the daily said quoting an eyewitness. The eyewitness added many rebels’ dead bodies are still scattered in the region while Maoists leaders managed to escape.

The Maoists launched ‘Seti-Mahakali FM Radio’ also confirmed the death of the seven civilians in the Monday air-raid, however, no information on their losses was revealed, it is reported. The security forces reached the spot on Thursday, the report added. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04

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RNAC axes int'l flights

The Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) has cut down international flights and readjusted its schedule after it failed to lease  an aircraft, reports said Friday.

The RNAC hopes to bring in an aircraft for a short-term lease within a week as one of its two Boeings flew to Brunei Thursday evening for an overhaul, The Himalayan Times, said, adding, the Boeing will be back after 52 days.

"We have made arrangements with Indian Airlines, Thai Airways and Qatar Airways to fly our passengers to the destinations," the report quoted RNAC managing director Mohan Khanal, as saying. "We hope to sort out the problem within a week, for which, we are negotiating."

The RNAC, which is Nepal's national flag carrier, was unable to find a Boeing within the speculated time because it could not finalise a deal with a company, Khanal was further quoted, as saying.

Indian Airlines, therefore, will operate an extra flight to Delhi on April 17 to accommodate RNAC passengers, the report said. 

The international destinations where the RNAC cut its flights for a week include Osaka [Japan], New Delhi [India], Bangalore [India] and Quala Lumpur [Malaysia]. nepalnews.com mr Apr 16 04

Govt. extends surrender deadline to mid-July 

The government Thursday extended the deadline given to the Maoist insurgents to surrender to July 16. 

In a public notice, the Home Ministry said the deadline has been extended in consideration of the growing number of Maoists giving up the armed activities. 

“The deadline has been extended considering the request from the Maoists willing to give in,” the statement read. 

The Home Ministry said altogether 890 militants have surrendered to local administrations across the country till April 15. nepalnews.com mbk April 15 04

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UML calls on NC-D to join in five-party movement

The Communist Party of Nepal (UML) Thursday called on Nepali Congress (Democratic) to join the ongoing anti-regression movement. 

Issuing a statement today, the UML said that participation of the NC-D would help make the agitations more effective. The party has also extended support to the protests of the NC-D beginning April 16.

"The five-party alliance has not taken any decision on inviting the NC-D but the UML wants all the democratic forces to unite against regression,” Kashi Nath Adhikari, secretary of UML central office told Nepalnews. He claimed that the UML’s appeal to NC-D would not dent the five-party unity. 

Through the statement signed by Bharat Mohan Adhikari, standing committee member and head of the Joint People’s Movement Coordination Committee, the UML has also expressed gratitude to the United Left Front for taking part in the movement. nepalnews.com mbk April 15 04 

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